In The Marble Halls Of Althenia
by Hot Crimson Passion
Summary: In the elfkin Kingdom of Althenia, an heir to the throne has finally arrived. Not every one wants to accept the new arrival as the crown prince, and some will do anything to get him out of the way. In Progress. Rated for later chapters.
1. Prologue

In The Marble Halls Of Althenia

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Prologue

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Dedicated to my Pahoyhoy for all her amazing support for this story and for all my others over the years. I love you.

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The sun slowly peaked over the eastern borders of Althenia, bathing the land in her warm rays. The kingdom had been anticipating this day for many years. For this day was a cause for celebration and rejoice. By midday, every citizen would be gathered in the large square that sat at the foot of the vast marble palace carved directly into the cliff face of the northern hills. For today, Althenia had finally been blessed with an heir to the throne.

The lord of these lands, Ansem the Wise, had never taken a consort to the crown, which had called into question how an heir would be produced. For years, the issue had remained unaddressed due to the war that had occurred just beyond the borders, in the neighboring kingdom of Ysirya to which the Althenians had been called at aid. With a long standing treaty between the two kingdoms, Ansem had answered that call, taking his warriors to help defend the smaller country from the invading forces of the nation of Thorsin. Together, the two nations were able to defeat the invading barbarians. For his assistance, Ansem had solidified the alliance that had stood between the two kingdoms for centuries. However, now that the kingdoms were at peace once more, it began to raise the question of an heir to the throne once again. The war had called into question the king's mortality and who would take the throne if Ansem were to die. That question had finally been answered with the arrival of the heir.

The kingdom of Althenia was populated by three races, each living at peace with one another for as long as the chronicles recorded. The elfkin were fair, long lived and users of the Earth-sense magicks. Their senses were heightened by the voices of the earth to which they were the guardians of. They made up most of the population of Althenia, and lived in peace with most of the surrounding kingdoms. Though they could eventually die of old age, it was usually only after centuries that that happened. Most of the time, an elfkin was called to the Havens after falling in battle or another accident.

Alongside the elfkin lived the Fae. Physically identical to the elfkin, Fae were only distinguishable from their brethren through Othersense. By using Othersense, one could tell that Faefolk not only had the Earth-sense, but that they were blessed by the Goddess with control over the air spirits as well. This made the Fae masters of illusion and stealth. Faefolk were rare, only appearing a few times a generation, when both a bonded pair had extraordinary Earth-sense of their own.

The final race of Althenia was the Magus. Rarest of all the inhabitants, there were rarely more than ten living at any given time. Longer lived than even the elfkin, a magus was born when one of the Faefolk bonded with an elfkin with only the barest hint of Earth-sense. As if the Goddess had decided to twist the fate of the bonded pair, she would bless them with a child that possessed control over all the elements, to the strongest degree.

The king of Althenia had always been from the same bloodline, a line which boasted some of the strongest Earth-sense that the kingdom had ever known. When Ansem the wise had never taken a consort to continue his blood ties to the throne, it had caused worry for his people. However, late last evening prior, a royal proclamation had been issued that an heir had been blessed upon Ansem the Wise, a babe the king had named Riku. The only concern that the people of Althenia had about the child was that if the King had never chosen a consort, how had the child been blessed upon him? The public wanted to be sure that the child was indeed the legitimate heir to the throne. So before the ceremony presenting Riku to the kingdom, the king had summoned his most trusted advisor, and Althenia's elder Magus to confirm the babe's parentage.

Of all the Magus that lived in Althenia, Vexen was not only the oldest, but the most powerful and wisest. His control over the elements had manifested all at once when he was young, and at full strength. Coupled with a high level of intelligence, Vexen had quickly gained a spot on the counsel of Magus Elders, and in turn on the King's Counsel. That had been in the time of Ansem's father, but the young prince had quickly developed a kinship with the prodigal Magus.

When the former King fell ill and eventually passed to the Havens, he left Althenia's throne to his son, including his counsel. Over the years, Ansem began to trust Vexen's wisdom and knowledge, as well as his magical abilities, above anyone else's. This elevated the young Magus to the head of his own counsel, but to also being the King's personal advisor. That was why when the announcement of Ansem's son's arrival came late last night, the Magus had already known about it. The palace page that had brought the news had also brought a summons to the palace for the morning to Vexen as well, not that he needed one. After all, with no consort, the arrival of an heir was going to bring to light questions of how he had come.

Knowing that this would be a much more official summons, Vexen dressed himself in the long white counsel robes that left little skin other than his hands visible from the neck down. The only adornments on the pale fabric were a single wide chain around the Magus' waist. The silver was inlaid with gems the colours representing each of the elements that Vexen had gained mastery over. Surrounding each of those jewels were tiny runes that spelled out the incantations that harnessed the powers of the elements. The vast number of colours and runes were proof of his status as the most powerful of the Magus in all the Kingdoms. Pulling his long blond hair free of the collar of his robes, the Magus picked up the final item that was proof of his standing, a tall walking stick, more tiny runes carved upon its length.

With that final preparation, the blond Magus then began to make his was way out of his small dwelling. On his way out, he spared a moment to nod towards a light haired Fae, fixing ambrosia blooms in a vase near the door. Without a word, he continued out the door and into the early morning sunlight that already was warming the land. Despite the early hour of the day, there was already a lot of activity in the Kingdom with everyone preparing for the celebration of the heir's arrival. Vexen had the feeling that no matter what he discovered about the circumstances of the young prince's birth, the babe was already finding a place in the hearts of the kingdom's inhabitants.

The journey to the palace was a little longer today than usual as so many stopped to ask the Magus if the news was true or not. His answer was always the same, that he couldn't confirm nor deny anything yet, but he still assured them that celebrations would be held this afternoon. By the time that Vexen finally made it up to the grand palace of Althenia, the sun was already half way to its zenith, making the white marble of the palace walls seem to glow. The guards that stood outside the double doors both just nodded to the Magus, allowing him in without question or announcement. He was welcome here at any hour. He didn't even need to ask to be informed where the king would be.

Making his way through the alabaster hallways, Vexen headed straight for the king's private chambers. Once again, the guards just nodded the Magus into the room, pushing and holding the doors open for him. They all must have been informed of the summons that had been sent out, but at the same time, this would not be the first unannounced visit that he made, nor would it be the last. Looking around the sparsely furnished room, Vexen was unsurprised to see Ansem the Wise sitting in the centre of the room on a large and comfortable chair. This was not an uncommon position to find the ruler in, with the exception of the small bundle held in the King's arms.

"Welcome, my friend. I am pleased to see you," the king of short, pale blond hair said in the deep baritone that could instill fear into enemies with a single word. The voice echoed through the room, though the speaker never raised his gaze from the swaddled bundle cradled in his arms.

"And this must be young Riku who has the entire kingdom up and about at this early hour," Vexen said, approaching his seated monarch.

With a soft smile, the elfkin pulled the corner of the soft blanket away from the infant, giving Vexen a good look at the babe. Riku's skin was as pale as the moonlight and judging by the soft strands of hair that were scattered sparsely over his head, his hair wouldn't be much darker. As if reacting to the light, tiny eyes opened, revealing irises of the clearest aquamarine that Vexen had ever seen. And with a colour so vibrant and clear, it was a sign that when his Earth-sense awakened, Riku's natural magic would be strong. After receiving a nod from the infant's father, the Magus extended a single finger and placed it in the centre of the child's bare chest. With only the barest whisper of a spell, the point on Riku's chest where the Magus touched began to glow, runes appearing from nowhere.

The illuminated symbols told Vexen all about Riku's origins. He could sense the blessing of the Goddess Shiva in the young body quite strongly, but no matter what he did, the Magus could only find Ansem's prayers in Riku's blood, no trace of another. Had the Goddess truly blessed Ansem with this child without a partner? In all his years nor all his research, he had never heard of the blessing of a child without two prayers. For a child to be born to his parents, the first had to commit themselves to one another in a hand fasting ceremony. Then when they were ready for their son to be born, they would enter a dream trance and travel through the spirit realm until they met up with the High Goddess, Shiva. She would then decide if the two would be worthy of a child of her blessing. If so, she would send them out of their trance, babe in arm. It had been known for a bonded pair to spend as little as a day in the spirit realm, arguing their worth, and times it took over a week. Shiva wasn't a cruel Goddess, but she was highly concerned with the preservation of her people and wanted to be sure that each child was wanted.

After examining the evidence that had been presented to him over and over again, Vexen finally had to admit what he had been suspecting. "Well, congratulations seem to be in order, your Highness. I see absolutely nothing to dispute that fact that young Riku here is your son."

"We will go ahead with the announcement ceremony later today as planned then," Ansem had a tired smile on his face that just shone with pride, all of it directed at the small babe in his arms. As Vexen pulled his hand away from Riku's chest, the King then folded the blanket back up over his tiny body.

Knowing that his magical abilities would no longer be needed, the Magus then took a seat that was offered to him, a chair that wasn't nearly as padded as the King's, but none the less comfortable. Vexen was no longer the King's advisor, nor a Magus, but was now Ansem's oldest and closet friend. "How long was your Dream Walk?"

"A little over a day," answered Ansem as if knowing exactly what his friend was about to ask. That was the average time that Shiva took for the blessing. It might be the only thing about Riku's arrival that was normal. "And before you ask, your findings were correct. There was no other involved. It seems as if Shiva is working in mysterious ways right now. But I will not question Her motives."

"Interesting," said the Magus, truly fascinated by the whole situation. This had never been known to happen in Althenia's history before, and Vexen wanted to hear all about it. Along with being an elder Magus and advisor, Vexen was also the lead chronicler of the Kingdom's histories. He would want to record everything. "So, as you were the only one, how difficult was it to convince Shiva on your own?"

Ansem let out a soft sigh, prepared to answer these sorts of questions. In an unconscious move, he began to run his finger along the pointed tip of his young son's ear. "I thought it would be more difficult than it actually was. It almost seemed as if Shiva wanted me to have Riku."

Vexen nodded, trying to decipher what all of this could mean. Obviously the Goddess had some sort of plan in place for young Riku, something that may not take place for years. Whenever it happened to be, the Magus would continue to observe and watch over the small child until that time passed.

Before he had the chance to analyze the possibilities any further, the doors to the King's chambers were opened once more and two elfkin entered, each one with a long sword hanging from their hips. Without a word, they walked through the large chamber towards their lord and King, kneeling and bowing their heads when they ended up in front of chair that held the King. The two warriors had both come to Althenia from Ysirya after the war, deciding that this was where they were meant to be. During the battles against Thorsin, they had proven their skills and often threw themselves in harm's way to protect Ansem despite him not being their monarch at the time. For this, Ansem was pleased to welcome the two into his court when they asked to return with him to Althenia. Over time, they had again and again proved themselves, but now as the personal retainers to the king, there was nothing that could stand up to them. Because of this, Vexen was sure that these two probably knew about Riku's arrival shortly after he himself did.

"Ah, Cloud," Ansem said and the fairer of the two elfkin nodded, looking up to reveal bright blue eyes. "And Squall," at that, the dark warrior looked up, his own steel grey eyes shining in the warm morning light. "I'm glad that you both came."

"Of course, your majesty," Cloud said as he and his partner both bowed their heads again, never rising from their crouched position.

Ansem just smiled softly at the typical silent nature of the two. Neither of them ever were the most talkative, but for some reason, Cloud always seemed to be the one to answer for the both of them. "I'd like for you two to meet my son, Riku. The Magus Vexen has confirmed that he is indeed my heir."

Squall and Cloud finally both rose to their feet then, taking in the sight of the small boy in their King's arms. "Congratulations." This time, the two warriors answered as one.

Nodding his thanks, the King adjusted his son's blanket once again before looking back at his retainers. "I understand that you have been recently hand-fasted to one another."

Despite being put on the spot so suddenly, neither man made any outward reaction to the comment. "Yes, your majesty, at last moon." Once again it was Cloud who answered. Vexen sat quietly off to the side, merely observing the reactions of the two stoic warriors to what Ansem was about to do.

"I also heard that you would be planning to enter your own dream walk soon as well. Is this true?" the king looked over at the two warriors and was not surprised that neither of them moved a muscle, with the small exception of a brief shared look.

Cloud then cleared his throat. "You heard right, Majesty. We were planning on entering our dream walk by the next full moon."

"I am sure that the Goddess will bless you with a strong and healthy son. And to thank you for your loyalty and bravery, he will betrothed to Riku." Ansem's words caused both warriors' eyes to widen with a look of gratitude in both the bright blue and steal gray. Neither of them had expected anything like that, and especially not so soon after arriving in this kingdom. When they were in the middle of battle, both Cloud and Squall felt more loyalty to Ansem than they had to the elfkin that held the throne of Ysirya, Odine. Odine was an intelligent ruler, and for the most part was a just one, but he did have a cruel streak and when the cruelty struck him, there was nothing to stop him. So when the war ended, the two best warriors in Ysirya followed Ansem the Wise home. Though Odine was less than impressed upon losing the two greatest sword masters either kingdom had seen in centuries, he did acknowledge that he owed Ansem much for his aid, and if all it would take to even that debt was losing the services of the two warriors, he would manage.

Crossing one arm over their chests and lowering their heads Cloud once again spoke for both of them. "It will be our honour, your Majesty. It is more than we could ever ask for."

Ansem let out a light chuckle as he stood up, Riku still held securely in his arms. "Nonsense, it is something you have both earned. Now, if you will excuse me, I believe that there is a ceremony announcing Riku's arrival that I must prepare for."

Vexen continued to observe as the two warriors gave a final bow to their King before making their way back out of the chamber. Normally the Magus would have questioned such as a decision as Riku's betrothed, especially so soon after the babe's arrival. However, this was one decision that Vexen had to completely agree with. Already able to sense the latent power that resided within the young prince, if the warrior skill bred true in Cloud and Squall's son, a son born of that child and Riku would have unmatched skill and power. "I have a question, your highness."

"You want to know why I am choosing a consort for Riku before the child has even been born," Ansem questioned as he looked out the large window that took up the entirety of the southern wall, and from there he was easily able to see the crowd that was gathering in the courtyard. The entire kingdom really was going to be gathering there for the presentation of Riku.

"Actually, no I wasn't. I understand your reasoning there, and I completely approve of it," Vexen said as he began to examine several of the runes that were etched into his staff. This was a hard subject for him to bring up, but it was something that the Magus knew had to be discussed. "Who all have you personally told about Riku's arrival?"

An audible sigh was heard from the King so Vexen knew that he understood the question despite the vagueness and cryptic nature. "I know what you're thinking, Vexen. Yes, I was the one to inform my brother before he heard elsewhere."

"What was his reaction?"

Letting out a dry and humourless chuckle, Ansem turned back to face his friend and advisor. "As you could expect, he acted as if he was glad, but it was forced and faked. We all knew that he was dreading the day that I had a son as it would be he was no longer the heir presumptive and second in line for the throne. We all knew that he wanted nothing more than for me to die in the war. I know how much he wants the throne, and how bad of a King he would make. This puts one more obstacle between him and it. Why do you think that I want Riku betrothed to Cloud and Squall's son before he's even born? I want those warriors to look over my son, because we both know that Xemnas will do anything to get to him."

The Magus was not only surprised to hear this, but impressed as well by the King's forethought on the matter. He had been concerned about how Xemnas would react to his nephew's arrival, and it seemed as if his worries were not only warranted, but echoed by Ansem. With a light sigh, Vexen stood up and walked across the stark white room until he was standing beside his friend and monarch. "I just pray to Shiva that all these suspicions prove to be false."

"As do I, my friend. As do I."

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Well, I'm back and with a brand new story. I have been talking about this one for over four(!) years now, and it feels good to finally be writing it. Ask Pahoyhoy, she's been after me to write it since I told her all about it the very first time that I visited her. Yes, it's been that long. And after all the stuff that I have gone through the last six months (my life was literally flipped upside down, but for the better), it feels good to be writing again.

This is the first chapter of what is going to be a nice long story, probably between 20-25 chapters. I have it all planned out, so its really just a matter of writing it down and getting it out of my head. I'm really hoping to have a chapter out every month or so, but I will not promise that as we all know how busy my life can get. I am going to hold off of writing oneshots until I get the first five chapters done though so I can dedicate my writing to this story.

As always, I hope that everyone likes this story and I look forward to hearing from everyone with your thoughts! I do have the next chapter and a bit already written, so the next chapter shouldn't be too long coming! Until next time!


	2. Chapter One

In The Marble Halls of Althenia

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Chapter One

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Dedicated to Pahoyhoy for reasons only she knows. Heart.

**Made a few very minor edits 1/22/13. Nothing major, only about 5 words, seriously lol. **

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"Hey, wait for me!" a young voice called out as two small figures ran down the large empty hallway of Althenia's royal palace. The servants had learned long ago to stay out of the way when the young prince would run around like this, as Riku and his playmate could care less about running into any of them. However, because Riku was so well loved by all the citizens, servants, and all of Althenia, no one minded. In the few short years since Riku's mysterious arrival, he had worked his way into the hearts of just about everyone in the land.

And wherever you found Riku, chances were that you would find Sora. Younger than the prince by little over a moon, the brunet youngling was as well-loved as his best friend and always present playmate. Sora was the child of Cloud and Squall, inheriting much of their skill and talent for swordsmanship as was already apparent even at such a young age. His birth was as much of an event as Riku's, as his parents had entered their Dream Walk to speak with Shiva and were blessed with their son less than an hour later. According to the records, no one else had ever met with Shiva and come out with their child in arms so fast. This brought almost as much fame to Sora as it did to Riku. But despite that, the two boys were just that, boys, and beyond that, friends.

Looking back over his shoulder as he raced through the halls, Riku just laughed. He always was faster than Sora. It seemed as if the only thing that he could never beat the younger boy at was swordplay. That was only because of Squall and Cloud though. Sure, he and Sora took their swordskill lessons together, but the prince knew that his playmate received extra and more rigorous training at every spare moment by the two swordsmasters themselves. Checking again to make sure that he still had quite a distance between himself and the brunet, Riku didn't see it coming when he collided with something, sending him sprawling on the floor.

"Ouch," he whimpered, but made no other sound to reveal just how hard he had hit the marble floor. After all, he had been running really fast. Hearing the quick footsteps and the laughter of Sora as he caught up, followed by the younger child's gasp, it surprised the pale haired elfkin at the silence. It was slightly odd behaviour from his normally impossible to quiet friend. The prince rubbed his bottom where it had connected with the marble floor so harshly, then looked up to see who or what he had run into to make Sora act so strangely.

Looking down at him with a slight look of indifference on his face was an elfkin of skin that was slightly darker than that of his kin. Long slate coloured hair framed the dark face, deep amber eyes standing out. Some people found themselves frightened in the imposing figure's presence, but not Riku. Maybe it was just a naturally inherited immunity, but all the young boy could do was smile at the tall figure.

"Sorry, Lord Uncle Xemnas," Riku said, a wide grin on his own face. There were few features that the young prince shared with his uncle, but nothing so much as the uniquely pale silver hair that framed their faces. There was very little resemblance otherwise, and even less between the king and his younger sibling.

Without speaking, Xemnas then reached down and with little exertion, lifted his nephew back to his feet, never acknowledging the petit brunet that stood behind Riku, neither speaking nor making eye contact. "You should be more aware of your surroundings, Riku," the elder elfkin said, his deep and monotonous voice ringing through the otherwise empty corridor.

With a huff of indignant defiance, Riku crossed his arms over his chest, ignoring the sensation of his brunet companion pressing silently against his back. "We were only playing, Lord Uncle. Racing, and I was winning. Master Cloud told us that we have to practice our running because sometimes it is better to run instead of staying to fight."

An odd light shone briefly in Xemnas' eyes, but it disappeared so quickly that the young prince couldn't be fully sure that he had really seen something there. "Running is a cowards approach to battle." There was a slight animosity to the elfkin's words, almost as if he held some sort of resentment. The young heir could feel Sora stiffen slightly in defence of his father, but still the brunet remained silent.

"That's not what Master Squall and Master Cloud told us," argued Riku. If Sora wouldn't speak up and defend the swordsmasters, he would. Even if it was to his Uncle and he would end up receiving harsh words of reprimand later on.

However, despite the anger of being countered by the sharp mind of his nephew, Xemnas never had the chance to respond to the comment as they were no longer alone in the corridor.

"My Lord Xemnas," a new voice said, and the young prince could swear that he saw his uncle sigh and roll his amber eyes. No footsteps had announced the new arrival, but when the two young elfkin turned to see who it was who had interrupted the brewing argument, smiles came onto both their faces. Standing there with a non-descript look on his face was Ansem the Wise's personal secretary and the head researcher for the chronicles. One of the rare Faefolk that lived among the elfkin, Zexion, had been serving Althenia for many years, earning his way through the ranks of the King's servants until he came to the attention of Ansem during the wars for his knowledge and tactical expertise. That had quickly gained him notoriety and a new assignment as the King's right hand man.

"What is it, Zexion?" the elder elfkin said in his monotonous tone, however the other three could all sense exasperation in the words. Because of that, Sora suddenly began to press back up against his friend's back once again as if he was trying to avoid notice altogether by the elfkin Lord.

Never perturbed by Xemnas' cold attitude, the Fae just looked down to the pile of scrolls he held in his arms. "The elder counsel is convening in the audience chamber. You have been requested to attend."

Amber eyes rolled along with another, more pronounce sigh of exasperation. "I don't know how they can ever do anything without my input on this counsel." Without another word to any of them, the elder turned and walked down the long marble hall, disappearing down one of the many side corridors.

As soon as the footsteps receded down the hall and finally disappeared completely, Zexion let out a breath that no one noticed he had been holding. Unfortunately, shortly after undertaking his current position, Xemnas had made no secret of his displeasure at the appointment and wanting to remove the young Fae from it, citing inexperience and incompetence. Several of the elders, including Vexen and the King himself, suspected that Xemnas felt threatened by Zexion. During the wars, the Fae had discovered an infiltration that the Blood Elf clans of the north had planned to stage on Althenia while they were otherwise occupied helping Ysirya. The territory was supposed to be under Xemnas' watch, and for a young and unheard of Fae to come in and discover something like that, it never sat well with the elfkin Lord.

"Sora, why were you hiding like that?" the young heir said, causing the Fae to look down at the two younglings. Deciding to hear what the small brunet had to say before interrupting, Zexion remained silent, acting as if he wasn't there at all. It was that particular talent that he possessed that made him an invaluable asset to King Ansem's court and counsel.

It was obvious that Sora was still slightly shaken by the encounter, but it was also apparent that his fear had merit. Another of Zexion's many responsibilities in the palace was that of academic and magical tutor to the two younglings. This made the Fae all the more interested in the response.

"Papa Cloud always told me to be careful around Lord Xemnas. He's not to be trusted." The young brunet's voice was quiet and still a little shaky, something that was quite out of the ordinary for Sora. "And the Earth told me that it doesn't like him either."

The last comment caused Riku to huff and Zexion's eyes to widen. "Are you finally hearing the Earth Voices, young one?" the Fae questioned, kneeling down in front of the young swordsworn elfkin. He only received a nod in response and could tell that it wasn't just the Lord that had frightened Sora.

Riku huffed again at the answer that his best friend gave. The magic of the elfkin had been something that the prince had been able to control since he could walk. Sora however, found that the magicks did not come as easy to him; it had been a never ending source of amusement for Riku to share his latest magical accomplishment to his friend, especially because it was something that the younger elfkin couldn't do yet. But still seeing the fear that ghosted in his friend's bright blue eyes, even as Zexion placed a single finger on the brunet's forehead to guide Sora through a few basic mental exercises to help block out the strongest of the earth voices, Riku knew that his friend was more scared than excited by this new power.

"It's alright, Sora. The Earth Voices will be quiet soon," Riku said, trying to help ease his friend's fear as Zexion finished the non-verbal lesson to his pupil.

Sora's expression changed as soon as Zexion lifted his finger away from the tanned skin to one of relief. He had cast a spell that would dampen the effects of Sora's newly awakened sense until he had the skill to control it himself. Once an elfkin came fully into his powers, he would never attempt to block the Earth Voice out, but for younglings so unused to the overpowering voices, it could become too much for him to deal with. "Thank you, Zexion," the brunet then gave a wide grin and slight bow to the Faefolk before turning to face his friend. "I have Earth Sense!"

Riku couldn't help but share the joy that his friend was experiencing. He had been far too young to remember the awakening of his own Earth Sense. After all, he had been barely walking when his own had manifested, making his gift one of the earliest awakened in all the chronicles. And along with the early awaking came an instinctive control unlike those ever observed before. Even after only two lessons with Zexion, the Faefolk had proclaimed him in complete control and any other instruction would do him no good, as he already knew it.

"Sora, would you mind telling me what you meant by the Earth not liking Lord Xemnas?" There was patience in the Fae's voice that hid the surprise and shock he had at the youngling's admission.

The small brunet just rubbed his hands together as he looked down towards his feet, hiding his eyes. "I don't know. It said that it makes it feel sick."

The young prince cocked his head to one side; he had never heard someone say that before, and definitely not about his Lord Uncle. The Earth Voice had never said anything like that to him either, so maybe it was just a trick that the Voices were playing on Sora's newly acquired powers. Before any of them could answer or continue, once again the sound of footsteps approaching the trio alerted them to another's presence. Knowing that the accusations that Sora made towards his Lord Uncle should not be known to anyone else, the conversation died instantly, but the young prince vowed to learn what his friend had meant by his words. As the footsteps began to approach them, the two young elfkin looked up at the new arrival, and where Lord Xemnas had instilled fear in the small brunet, the newcomer allowed a wave of calm and security to wash over all of them.

Ansem smiled softly at his son as he watched the small group, including Riku, bow as he came near. "Rise. I hope that you two have been staying out of mischief today." There was a flash of amusement that danced briefly in the king's amber eyes, but it was gone almost instantly.

Riku laughed a little, knowing that his King and father probably already knew about the scolding that they had received from the palace chef for attempting to steal some of the fresh baked berry tarts that had been resting on the window to cool. After promising Lexaeus that they would never try and steal again, the large elfkin rewarded each of them with one of the tarts that they had meant to purloin in the first place. "Yes, your majesty," the prince replied, impishly.

"Sora," Zexion's soft voice spoke up, "Let us go see if we can find your parents and inform them that your Earth Sense has awaked."

With a bright grin that was infectious to almost anyone, the young swordsworn began to bounce excitedly from one foot to the other. "Okay, Zexion! Let's go! Bye, Riku! Bye, your Kingness!" the excitable youngling then grabbed his tutor's hand and dragged him down the hall in the opposite direction then what Xemnas had gone. Ansem was not offended by the informal departure nor the non-traditional title. After all, Sora was still young. Though, how he had so much energy and exuberance while his parents were so quiet and stoic, no one quite knew. Though, it was amusing to no end.

"Riku, please come with me." Though there was seriousness in his father's voice, they were said with a smile, meaning that the prince was not in trouble. This time. With a nod and a smile of his own, Riku then took the King's offered hand and began to walk with him in silence though the large palace.

Still without a word between them, Ansem the Wise lead his son through a maze of corridors and passageways that the heir had never been through before. Riku had never been in this wing of the palace and it made him all the more curious as to their destination. A brief glance up to his father showed the monarch with a slight look of worry etched on his face that Riku couldn't decipher. Not even the Earth Voice was sharing anything as to what was on the King's mind at the moment.

"Father, where are we going?" the prince questioned quietly, his voice still echoing soundly off the marble walls, amplifying it. Other than their footsteps, there was no other sound in this hall.

"Your gifts are now strong enough and under your control for me to show you what the true purpose of the royal family of Althenia is. Are you prepared for this responsibility, my son?" As soon as the final word fell from the King's lips, they came to stop in front of a strange door that Riku had never seen before. Like every other door in the palace, it was made of ivory marble veined with a rich amber, but for some reason, it had no handle. Outlining the arched frame, however, were runes carved right into the marble itself and inlayed with silver. The young prince recognized many of the runes and symbols from his lessons, noting that the majority of them were spells of illusion, protection and defence. What could be hidden in this room to warrant such high security?

Without question or instruction, Riku let go of his father's hand and approached the strange door. Something drew him to it, and despite expecting it, the older elfkin said nothing to stop him. Whispers echoed in the young prince's ears suddenly, and it was different than the normal Earth Voice. It was older, but in a way, newer than the Earth Spirits. But more than that, this did not give him feelings and hints of advice, the new Voices gave exact instructions and guidance. In a way, the new Voice offered a single feeling to Riku's Othersense: trust.

Not checking to see his father's reaction or encouragement, the heir lifted a single finger, touching only the very tip in the centre of the wide door. Pausing only a moment to listen to the instruction the Voice gave him, the young elfkin of pale silver hair began to slowly trace another rune into the centre of the door. As his finger slid slowly over the marble, a silver light began to glow everywhere that he touched. The moment that the rune was complete, Riku let out a contented sigh and watched as the pale light flared up and brightened, almost to the point of being unwatchable.

"Well done, my son," Ansem said softly with a tone of contentment in his voice and pride shining in his amber eyes.

Feeling a little tired for some reason all of a sudden, the young prince leaned into the hand that came to rest on his shoulder. "Wha…what just happened? What did I do?"

Knowing now after watching what had just occurred that his son was now definitely ready for what he was about to show him, the King began to explain, as his father had done to him long ago. "This door was created by your ancestor, the very first King of Althenia. Every King has since then added his own protections to the existing ones. When he dies, his spirit is added to those spells, strengthening them."

"So, the Voices I heard giving me the instructions were the Lost Kings?" questioned Riku as he gazed upon the runes once more again with a sense of awe, ignoring the large rune in the centre that still shone brightly.

With a nod and a soft smile, Ansem then continued. "Yes, only the king and his heir are able to use the Voices to open the door. That is why you had to listen for the correct rune to place on the door. The Lost Kings will only speak to those of their blood, and will never use the same rune of release twice."

This was all very fascinating to Riku, but at the same time, it was arousing his curiosity to the utmost potential. "What do the Lost Kings protect?"

"Open the door and see for yourself," chuckled the King. "As it was your hand that released the spell, it is your hand that must open it. If anyone other than the releaser attempts to open the door, or if someone other than the king or the heir tries to access this room, the Lost Kings will mete out a punishment that is on par with their intention of accessing this room. If it is a pure accident, it would be minor. However, if one with ill intent attempts to access this room, it could mean serious injury, insanity or death."

Swallowing hard at that sobering thought, Riku hesitated only a moment before taking a single step forward. "What about Lord Uncle Xemnas? He's of our blood."

Ansem just shook his head. "No, he no longer has the ability to access this room as he is no longer heir. He lost the ability the moment that you were born."

"Oh," was the only thing that the young prince could say as he stepped forward to place his hand once again on the inscribed door. With only the gentlest of pushes, the door split down the middle, swinging inwards to reveal staircase inside. With a gentle urging from his father, the young elfkin then began to climb the stairs. Slowly at first, but after only the first few, his curiosity once again began to get the better of him as he began to increase his speed until he was in a full out run going up the spiralling staircase. It felt as if he was climbing for eternity, yet at the same time, that the stairs were moving under his feet in order to carry him to the top of the corridor. Seeing another closed door, the young prince let out a sigh as he panted in order to catch his breath. Hearing no whispers of the Earth Voices telling him of more protections on this door, Riku still decided to wait for his father before entering the room that he sense was at the top of the eastern most tower, judging by how they had come here. This town was built almost completely into the cliffs that ran along the back of the palace, which would make it easily the most defensible under siege. What was so valuable that would need to be put here? It was enough to peak Riku's interest even more.

Eventually, Ansem made it up to the landing, a small smile on his face as he saw that his son had waited for him. "Are you ready to see why the royal family is so important in Althenia?"

Nodding slowly, the young prince took his father's hand once again, not out of fear per say, but because of the absolute power that he could feel radiating from the heavy wooden door inlaid into the marble. Slowly, the King pushed the door open, revealing the hidden contents to the wide-eyed youngling.

At first, the bright light almost blinded the heir, but after only a few moments, his eyes adjusted and he was able to look around. Almost as overwhelming as the light had been, a familiar aroma hit the prince like a wave and threatened to swallow him. As everything came into sharp focus, Riku found himself standing in complete awe of what surrounded him. Every wall was covered fully by creeping vines, completely obscuring the pale marble behind it with a luscious green. The vaulted ceiling, that must have been as high as the tower peak itself, was covered as well, long vines thick as Riku's wrist dangling down into the room not far above the King's head. The only spot that did not bare any of the foliage was a large window made of the clearest glass the prince had ever seen. The position of the window was that as would easily allow the maximum amount of sunlight in at all times. Continuing to take in the sight of what was around him, the prince saw that the vines were spotted with thousands upon thousands of pale red blossoms, each as big as Riku's head at least. Ambrosia Blooms. Any elfkin would recognize these alluring flowers. Pulling his gaze away, the prince looked along the uneven floor that stepped down into a round depression in the centre of the room. Ringed around the sunken circle were tables that held several apparatuses that the prince neither recognized nor had names for, and wouldn't even be able to venture a guess as to what their purpose was.

"What is this place?" the young elfkin whispered, unable to speak any louder in fear of breaking the tranquility of the chamber.

"This is where the royal family cultivates and enhances the ambrosia that we all need." Letting go of his son's trembling hand, Ansem walked down the steps into the sunken area. "As you know, every elfkin, in the kingdom must have at least a single drop of ambrosia every few days. What happens if we don't?" as he asked his son the question, the King began to roll up the sleeves of the white robes that he wore. He stood in front of one of the devices, picking up a small tube off of a rack, shaking it, holding it up to the light before replacing it.

"The Earth Voices will drive us into madness. Our powers will begin to attack us from the inside out, first dulling our senses and weakening us substantially, before bursting outwards in a terrible wave that can destroy anything all around us. If one with a strong enough will though, they may only fall into insanity, but will generally deathwill themselves before the madness consumes them," Riku answered promptly with a shudder. It was something that everyone learned when they were very young and always feared happening. Riku had seen an elfkin who had gone without ambrosia once in his short life, and it was something he never again wanted to witness. The poor soul had been swallowed so far by his paranoia of haunts and desperation to hear the Earth Voice once again that he had been unrecognizable to both sight and Othersense.

With a nod, Ansem was glad that Riku had been paying attention to that purposeful visit to the elderly elfkin, who had begun refusing ambrosia after all his sons and his bonded had been killed in an avalanche while scouting along the northern border. His descent from sanity had not taken long, but it was enough to be able to show the prince the importance of ambrosia.

"And what does the ambrosia do for us?" continued Ansem, as he examined a bloom that hung just above his head. He carefully removed a single petal from the flower and handed it over to his son.

Taking the silken feeling petal from the King, the youngling then lifted it to his nose, inhaling deeply the potent fragrance. He then bit the very tip of the petal off, relishing in the sweet flavour and the rush of power that came with that small amount. As he swallowed the small piece of ambrosia, Riku then placed the rest of the petal onto the table next to his father. Even just that tiny piece of the flower was enough for the prince to feel its effects. "Ambrosia enhances our senses, enabling us to hear better, smell more scents and to see greater detail over long distances. It also allows us to understand the words of the Earth Voices."

"You have learned well, my son. Now it is time for you to learn what our duty as royal family is. Over the centuries, the peoples of Althenia have evolved, and with that, our dependence on the ambrosia has changed as well. This chamber holds the key to ensuring that the ambrosia continues to do what we need it to do. It is our knowledge that keeps these plants alive and allows them to evolve along with us."

"How do we do that, Father?" Riku began to look with more interest at the different things he saw scattered on the tables, curious as to what each of their purpose was.

Ansem just let out a light chuckle, "You will learn it all in time. It is not something that you learn overnight. The secrets are in your blood."

There was still a rapt interest on Riku's face that was unmatched by anything that had ever been there before. "So, when do I get to start doing this research and helping?"

Ansem's smile faded as he knew what he was about to say was not going to be easy for his son to hear. "Until Shiva sends you a sign, you will not be able to manipulate the ambrosia. You will be able to come here and observe as I do my work, but I will ask that you never attempt to enter this chamber on your own." Putting down the things that he had been working with, the King then turned to his son, kneeling down and placing both hands on small shoulders. He could see that there was a light of disappointment in aquamarine eyes, but that had been expected. Unfortunately what the youngling didn't realize was that if he attempted to manipulate the ambrosia before receiving the sign from Shiva, it could lead to disaster. "I must ask you to promise me that, Riku."

With a pout and a small sniffle, the prince reluctantly nodded. "Alright, Father. I promise," he whispered, "but when will Shiva send me the sign?"

The eagerness in his son's voice drew a chuckle from the blond elfkin. "With you my son, I believe it will be sooner than we both realize."

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Whew. A lot of information went into this chapter! But I hope that everyone still enjoyed it! I think the next chapter will still have a little more information in it, but it will still be mixed with lots of plot. Expect the first couple of twists coming up soon! I'm not sure if anyone has noticed this yet or not (other than Pahoyhoy, who knows all the secrets there are to be had about this story lol) but the inspiration of this plot came from a movie, and it actually is going to be serving as a quasi-basis for the flow of this story, albeit with many, many, MANY changes and original ideas thrown in. Can anyone guess it yet?

A huge thank you goes out to WindEarthWater for betaing this chapter and helping me with those few sticky situations. And to my Pahoyhoy, as with almost all my stories, you my lovey are my reason for writing and this year has been so long, and all I can say is four and a half months. That's it. We can make it.

Thanks again for all the support I have gotten for this story so far and I hope that I can continue to entertain you all! Until next time!


	3. Chapter Two

In The Marble Halls Of Althenia

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Chapter Two

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I Know, this is a lot later than I thought it was going to be. Its because of a mix of life, hateful computers and general hullaballoo. Yup hullaballoo. Anyway, here it is, better late then never!

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After experiencing the wonders of the ambrosia chamber, the alabaster walls of the palace seemed so odd to the young prince. There had been something about being surrounded by the crawling vines that had called to a part of the elfkin's soul deep down. It might not be the sign that Shiva was suppose to be sending him, but Riku knew that it wouldn't be long before the Goddess did send him the sign that he was looking for. But for now, all the youngling wanted to do was find his best friend and tell him about these amazing new discoveries.

Making his way back through the corridors towards the royal family's private chambers, the young elfkin wondered briefly if Sora would now be in a training session with his parents. It seemed as if every time he was looking for the young brunet, one or both of the sword masters would have him training. Not that Sora didn't also have plenty of time for playing and just being a child; he just spent a lot of time in the training arena and loved every minute of it.

"Ah, Young Riku. Where might you be going?" A voice broke the young prince out of his thoughts and distracting him temporarily from his search. Looking around for the source, Riku soon saw the elder Magus walking towards him, carrying several scrolls in his arms.

With a slight bow of respect, the young elfkin offered his father's advisor a smile. "Father just showed me the ambrosia chambers. It was the most amazing thing that I have ever seen! I can't wait until Shiva sends me my sign. I want to be able to manipulate the ambrosia as Father does."

Vexen gave the prince a friendly smile. "Ah, then I expect you are off to find Young Sora to share this news with him then?" the Magus was thoroughly surprised and pleased at the friendship that had formed between Sora and Riku. The two younglings were not aware of their betrothal as wished by their parents. The king and his retainers chose to keep that fact from their children to see how their relationship developed naturally and not with the pressure of the inevitable hand fasting looming over them.

The prince just nodded with a broad smile. "Yes, I am. Sora's Earth Voice finally woke today! He said that he heard the Voices tell him that it didn't like my Lord Uncle Xemnas."

"Ah, I see," the Magus nodded, shifting the scrolls in his arms a little.

"Why did the Voices say that to Sora and not to me? My Earth Sense is stronger than his and has been awake much longer," there was a slight pout in the young elfkin's voice that caused a single corner of Vexen's lips to turn upwards. He was not at all surprised to hear the jealousy in Riku's voice. After all, the prince had never been around any one who was able to communicate with the Earth Voices better than him, nor hear Voices that he couldn't hear.

"Upon waking, Earth Voices that don't normally speak to anyone will say something and will never be heard from again," the Magus explained, trying not to allow his personal thoughts to be known to Riku. After all, there was no sense in forcing his opinion onto the young prince, especially since there was nothing to back up some of those opinions other than some hearsay and rumours.

The answer seemed to satisfy the young prince for a few moments as they continued to walk down the bright hall. The Magus made no attempt to engage Riku into conversation at the moment. He would speak again after his mind went over all the details of what he was told. If there was one thing to be said of the young heir, it was that he always thought things through. "Lord Vexen, can elfkin survive without ambrosia? I mean without succumbing to insanity?"

This time it was the Magus who was quiet as he thought over the question that was asked of him. True Riku was still only a child, but there were some things that even one so young should know about, especially when one would have to deal with that type of situation before too long. "There is a small tribe of elfkin that live on the northern borders of Althenia that the Goddess has forsaken. This is because they have strayed from Her teachings and don't rely on ambrosia to keep their sanity."

This began to really peak the prince's interest. He had been hearing rumours and warnings about those elfkin all his life, but any time that he asked his father about it, the King would always get a frightened and angry look in his golden eyes and say to never ask about them again. "What do they rely on then?"

With a sigh, Vexen briefly worried that the King didn't want his son to know about these things yet, but decided that it was better for the prince to learn about this from him rather than piecing together bits of the stories on his own and not having all the information. "They are what we call Blood Elves. They were once elfkin like yourself, but they decide to stop taking ambrosia. When they begin to feel the onset of the insanity, they begin the process. The rest of the tribe will find an unwilling victim and sacrifice them in the name of the dark deity, Diablos, and drink the blood of the victim. It is a very dark path, one of which most of us don't like to think about, let alone talk about. Their magicks are dark and tainted, the earth voices repudiate them. They are not something that anyone of their right mind will associate with or bring up in polite conversation." Noticing that the young prince was no longer along side him, the Magus paused and looked back to see Riku stopped several steps behind him, aqua eyes wide as can be and skin blanched even more than normal. Vexen could not fault the young elfkin on his reaction; it was really something that frightened even the strongest of warriors.

"Where do they get the victims?" the young elfkin's voice was whispered and a slight tremble laced it.

The Magus walked back over to the prince, and shifting his scrolls to one arm, he knelt down and placed his now free hand onto the shaking child's shoulder. "You have nothing to worry about, young prince. As long as you promise me that you will never travel to the northern border alone."

"I promise!" The prince nodded with fear apparent in his proclamation. The magus felt confident that the young elfkin's reactions were genuine and they would have no problems with him trying to wander into the forbidden territories.

"There's a good lad. Now, I believe that I have kept you from searching out your friend long enough. Go and find him and share your news," Vexen offered Riku a soft smile and used the hand he had resting on the child's shoulder to push him off in the direction he had been off in earlier.

"Thank you, Elder Vexen!" Riku said in a fully different tone of voice than only moments before. Without waiting for the elder to say anything else, Riku began to run down the alabaster hallway towards where he knew Sora would be. As usual, the young prince dodged servants, elfkin and others as he ran with haste. Precious minutes had been wasted while talking to the Magus, but he knew not to dismiss the Magus' words, or advice. His father often told Riku how important of a figure Vexen was to the kingdom and to its ruler.

The blanched walls blurred by him as he made his way down to the training arena, hoping that the brunet elfkin would be practicing on his own. A vine covered railing signalled the approach of the prince's destination. With a grin, he stopped running and allowed his soft leather boots to slide on the polished floor the remaining distance until he crashed into the guardrail with a smile. Grabbing onto the vine strewn wood, the young elfkin looked down into the sunken courtyard. There was a square in the centre made of loosely packed sand, various racks for weapons and wooden benches lining the perimeter. This was the palace training grounds, and each of the guards and palace swordsmen were all given time each day to train and practice here. These days however, chances were that you could find either Master Squall or Master Cloud, or more often than not both, here training the young prince and their son, or sparring against the warriors. There really was no one in the entire kingdom with the same level of skill as those two.

As usual, the two swords masters were there, each wielding a long practice blade, methodically moving with one another with such fluid motions that it looked more like a dance with the blades swinging through the air. It was truly mesmerizing to watch. Off to the side on one of the benches was Sora, watching with rapt interest in the skill they exhibited. Upon first observation, one would never know that the two swords masters were bonded with the way that they attacked one another relentlessly. If he didn't resemble the two elfkin that were sparring in front of him so highly, there were those who would doubt that Sora was the son of the two warriors. Though after watching the grace and proficiency that both elfkin had with the swords that were swinging as they flew through the air, no one was going to question it.

Knowing that his friend and playmate would be entranced by the spar for quite some time, the young prince sighed. He had been hoping that Sora would not have been caught up by his parents fighting. There was so much that he was excited to tell his friend about. Riku was not patient and didn't want to wait for Master Squall and Master Cloud to finish their spar and the subsequent training that they would be giving Sora afterwards. With a heavy sigh, the young elfkin folded his arms and rested them on the vine covered railing.

"And what does the young prince have to sigh so heavily about this day?" A voice said from behind Riku, causing him to jump a little. With a start, the young heir turned to come face to face with his uncle for the second time that day, but this time his friend's words were still haunting the back of his mind.

With a smile, Riku then stood to his diminutive height and looked up at his uncle. "Hello, Lord Uncle. I was just watching Masters Cloud and Squall training this afternoon."

The elder elfkin looked down into the arena, and there was a brief moment that the heir thought that he saw something flash over the amber of his uncle's eyes, but it was gone so fast that he couldn't identify what exactly it was. "Ah. To think that ones of such skill would travel so far from home with no real purpose."

Not fully understanding exactly what Lord Xemnas meant, Riku just smiled at his uncle. "Father showed me the greatest thing today, Lord Uncle! I got to go in and see the ambrosia chamber."

"How wonderful," Xemnas said, not looking down at his nephew.

Unaware of the elder's growing hostilities towards him, the young prince continued on. "The Lost Kings allowed me to release the seals on the door really quickly, too! And when I finally got into the chamber, it was nothing like I had ever seen before. It was beautiful. Were you amused by it when you first entered into the chamber too, Lord Uncle?" The excitement in Riku's voice was easily heard.

Xemnas however stood there, as stoic as ever with a look of complete indifference on his face. However, due to the excitement that Riku was experiencing at the moment, he either did not notice it or chose to ignore it. "I was never permitted entry by the Lost Kings."

Bright aqua eyes went wide at those words. "Not even once? But Father said that until I was born, you had access to the chamber."

After many years, the elfkin Lord had learned how to school his emotions and anger. "He was mistaken."

"Oh," the prince murmured, afraid that he may have crossed a line and upset his uncle. "It was really beautiful! The ambrosia blooms were so large, too!" Quickly dismissing his uncle's mood, Riku then began to launch into a description of the inside of the chamber as best as he could remember.

The elder elfkin allowed his nephew to ramble on as he seethed inside. He had spent many long years as the heir to the throne and was satisfied that he would eventually become ruler of Althenia. That ambition was fuelled and supported by the fact that his brother had never chosen a consort. However, with Riku's arrival, it had put a halt to those plans that he had. Even more detrimental to the stopping of his plans was the coalition of the peers his King had surrounded himself with. Those warriors who possessed unsurpassed skill with their long blades. That blasted Fae who seemed to know and see far more than they should. And that Magus whose power was so high that even Xemnas dared not challenge him.

"And then Elder Vexen told me about the Blood Elves and how bad and evil they are."

When the young prince said this, it broke the taller elfkin out of his rage fuelled thoughts. "So he told you all about the abandoned Blood Elf settlement that lies just to the north eastern edge of the gorge?"

The young prince's ears twitched at those words. Exploration was one of his favourite past times, one that he shared with his best friend. They were forever looking for new locations to explore and play in. And now his uncle had just given him a new and unexplored area to discover. But then Riku recalled the stories that Vexen had told him earlier that day. "No, Elder Vexen did not mention anything about that. Is it truly abandoned? Would it be safe for me to visit it?"

The dark skinned elfkin's amber eyes went wide. "Of course it's not safe for you to visit. My dear nephew, if you want to go exploring there, please promise me that you will ensure that you always have one of the elder elfkin with you. Blood Elves are notoriously territorial. There is no saying that if you go exploring there that those miscreants wouldn't show up there. Your magic may already have manifested itself and be stronger than any other elfkin of your age, but it isn't infallible. Many of those traitors would love to get you in their grasp, young Riku."

A little surprised at the concern that his uncle was exhibiting for his safety caused the prince to raise his eyebrow. Xemnas was not known to be a strong magician nor an overly skilled warrior, instead using his command over others in order to succeed in battle. However, Riku had seen his uncle in the past sparring with both magic and duel swords, and it had been enough to frighten the prince. The only word that he could use to describe the demonstration was vicious. It had surprised him further when Master Cloud and Master Squall refused to spar with him, giving reasons such as he didn't use a traditional style and they didn't trust him. Riku hadn't understood Sora's comment about the Earth Voices not liking his uncle, and still he couldn't make sense of it either. If such a fierce fighter like his uncle was frightened about going into the abandoned settlement, maybe it really was a place that he should stay away from.

"Alright, Lord Uncle Xemnas. I won't go there alone," the younger elfkin said with a smile.

"There's a good lad," the Lord said with a pat to his nephews head. "Now, it seems as if your little friend has finished his training. Run along now and tell him all about what you saw today. But remember, you promised me that you would never go to the abandoned settlement on your own."

"I remember. Goodbye, Lord Uncle!" the prince gave the smallest and barest necessary bow as was protocol before looking down into the training area to see that Sora was carefully replacing a wooden practice blade onto the rack as he wiped his forehead, the two elder warriors sheathing their blades at their sides. "Sora!" Riku called, waving at his friend when the young brunet looked up. Receiving a smile and an enthusiastic wave in return, the silver haired elfkin began to run down the marble hallway until he reached a stairwell. He descended the stairs at a reckless pace that would have any of the elders warning him of a broken neck if he continued to run on the stairs like that. What they weren't aware of was just how advanced the young prince was with controlling his Earth Sense.

Without exerting even the smallest trickle of power, Riku was able to listen to the Earth Voices telling him where each step was and what steps to avoid in order preventing falling. He had found out long ago that if he did happen to make a misstep, magic would seem to radiate straight from the ground, condensing around him and stopping him from colliding with the ground, while the earth itself would rise to meet his feet before returning to its previous state. It was something that no one other than Sora had ever seen happening, and neither of them had ever heard of happening to anyone else. It was something that Riku was reluctant to share with any of the elders, especially his father.

When he finally made it to the bottom of the stairway, the prince didn't stop his pace, continuing to run through the corridors until he came to the training area. Obviously Sora had prepared for his arrival, holding the door open so that the prince didn't have to slow down. Once again executing the tiniest amount of magical force that would not register to anyone's Other Sense, Riku made the earth become almost adhesive, his feet sticking to the floor of the training area and allowing him to stop instantaneously.

Seeing the two swords masters bowing with their arms crossed over their chests in respect for their future king, Riku nodded in a sign for them to rise. Long ago, he had asked the two swords masters to stop doing that, that it wasn't necessary for them to bow to him, but he only received the response that it would not be their place and they bowed out of respect for him and his father. Obviously they would be bowing to him until he took the throne and then they would not be able to ignore direct orders such as those from their King. At least their son did not share their same ideals on protocol towards the heir.

"Riku! I have to show you the manoeuvre that Papa and Father just showed me today!" The young brunet exclaimed as he ran back to the weapons rack and removed his wooden practice blade. Taking only a moment to move into the proper stance, the brunet then swung the blade downwards before spinning and slicing the blade back up and following that with a series of cross slashes, finishing with five fierce jabs. Riku could see both Master Squall and Master Cloud watching with critical eyes, but when Sora finished the new move and neither of the swords masters neither offered any sort of criticism, the prince knew that his friend had executed the technique with perfection as usual. Though he would never actually admit it, Riku knew he would never be able to match the brunet's sword skill no matter how much training he had.

"That was incredible!" the silver haired elfkin exclaimed with a grin, genuinely happy for his friend's mastery of the skill. "Father took me to the ambrosia chamber today. Soon I will get a sign from Shiva to say that I will be able to help manipulate the ambrosia so that we can use it better."

"That is a big responsibility, your highness. It is not something to take lightly," Master Squall said in his soft voice that was far gentler than one would have expected from the stoic warrior.

"Yes, Master Squall," Riku said, hoping to sound responsible enough. The dark haired swordsman then walked over to his son and placed a hand on Sora's shoulder. At this distance, it was easy to tell that Sora was Shiva's gift to the two warriors'. Like Squall, the young elfkin had chocolate brown hair and slightly tanned skin, but the natural spikiness to his hair and the bright blue eyes that reflected every emotion were completely Cloud. Where Sora got his happy-go-lucky attitude and sunny disposition remained a mystery to everyone. Because according to the young brunet elfkin, even in their privacy of their own chambers, the two swordsmen acted the same way.

"We believe that you will be up to the task though, Riku. You will one day be what the Kingdom of Althenia needs," Cloud continued as he too walked over to his son, reaching into the small brown pouch attached to his belt and pulled out two small squares of a golden colour, before offering one to each of the younger elfkin.

"Thank you, Papa," Sora smiled as he took one of the ambrosia squares, eating it and smiling at the sweet and smooth flavour that he had grown up on, Riku doing the same. Of all the many ways to have ambrosia, this was one of his favoured methods.

"Thank you, Master Cloud," the prince echoed, his mind suddenly overwhelmed with thoughts of the responsibility that would one day fall on his shoulders. However, seeing the two swords masters and their son standing there, and the thought of Elder Vexen and Zexion also standing there, Riku knew that he would never be alone when he ascended the throne. One day he would be King of Althenia and he would need the support of those around him. Of all those in the Kingdom, those five were the ones he knew could trust with his life. Riku had been aware as soon as he knew his position in life that there would be few people that h would be able to trust so completely, even among his own family. He knew that the Goddess had to be watching over him to give him supporters and friends like this so early in his life. He would never take any of them for granted and prayed that he would always be able to rely on them, even when he was standing on his own and he needed them the most. Hopefully though, the time that he would need to call on them in his time of need would be far off. If only the Goddess would hear that prayer.

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Oooh, stuff is happening! I promise that the next chapter will not be nearly as long, in fact the next two chapters shouldn't be that long coming. Along with a new AkuSora, a possible Dexion and another foray into the Marvel-verse with more Stony stories. Maybe ;)

Thanks again to WindEarthWater for your wonderful betaing job, and I feel your computer pain for sure lol. And to Pahoyhoy, I still remember taking 2 hours almost 4 years ago to talk to you about all the details of this story, and you bugging me every week since then about starting to write it. And still getting good laughs with me over the original title to this story! I love you and I've already started my less than 60 day countdown until I get to come see you and your L'il Hoy. You have no idea how much I miss you! I love you so much!

And as always, to all my readers, thank so much for the amazing support that I have been getting for everything over the past 7 years on this site! Never in my wildest dreams would I have ever thought stuff that I write would ever be this popular! Thank you! Until next time, which I promise won't be nearly as long! Later!


	4. Chapter Three

In The Marble Halls of Althenia

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Chapter Three

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"So you're sure you know exactly where this place – whatever it is – is?" Sora questioned as he fastened his adventure pouch to his belt. Though the two of them had lessons with Zexion this day, it wouldn't be a problem to break away from them, as they were often able to sneak away from them for several marks before the Fae found them. The pair would then receive a scolding when they were caught, but the lecture had never lasted that long before.

Checking his quiver of arrows and ensuring that his dagger was hooked on the side, the prince could only smile at the curiosity that his best friend was attempting to hide in his voice. It had been nearly a month since Riku had been granted access to ambrosia chamber, and he had been biding his time before attempting to explore the abandoned blood elf territory that his Lord Uncle had allowed slip about it. "It's an old village that Blood Elves lived in. Lord Uncle Xemnas said it's just on the other side of the gorge. I have a plan to get us over the gorge too," he said, stopping the question he knew was going to be coming. Pulling on his bow to make sure that it was strung to his liking, the silver haired elfkin smirked. "And I've gone through the archives and researched as to where it is."

"Alright," Sora said, checking the edge of his own dagger. They would not take the weapons to their lesson, but would hide them close by for easy retrieval after being able to escape from the Fae. "How did you know what to look for and the area if no one speaks of it?"

"I went through the restricted books of maps that Elder Vexen has in the library that he doesn't allow much access to. He wants me to know about the Blood Elves so that I can prepare to fight against them if necessary and I looked up the village when he wasn't paying attention to what exactly I was reading, and I think I'm pretty sure I know where it is. And I think that the Earth Voices will help us. It's abandoned. How bad can it be? We're just going exploring, Sora," the older elfkin said with a wide smile, grabbing his own adventure pouch.

"And we aren't going to get in trouble?" the brunet questioned, bright blue eyes looking at his best friend. After all, Riku was the Prince and had the ability to talk himself out of anything as he had been taught. The brunet on the other hand would have to face his parents, a task that was never enjoyable and usually ended up with him being saddled with double chores and extra training sessions, leaving him no chance to get into mischief.

With a small chuckle, the prince grabbed the two blades from the brunet's hands. "Of course we won't, well, not too much anyway. Besides, the gorge is still within the lands that we are allowed to explore, and from what I saw, the village isn't too far from the edge of the gorge, so we won't be that far out of the territory if we do get caught. And that's only if." Taking their various weapons, the young prince opened the doors to his chambers, looking into the hallway for anyone. He then opened his ears and mind to the Earth Voices. When he was warned of nothing, Riku quietly made his way over to a large onyx statue of the Goddess Shiva that stood out so much from the pale walls of the corridor. With the continued silence from the Earth Voices, the silver haired elfkin slid between the statue and the wall. Soon enough he wouldn't be able to fit back here, but for now he still could. Placing one finger on the back of the Goddess' leg, Riku extended the slightest amount of power as he traced his own personal rune on the flawless surface.

As always, the Earth Voices responded to him instantly and a panel slid open to reveal Riku's personal hiding spot. He then placed their weapons into the small compartment before closing and sealing it once again. Luckily this was on the route they would use for their escape out of the palace, so it would not be difficulty to stop and retrieve them on their flight. With a smile, the young prince slid out from behind the statue, winking at his best friend when he saw the brunet exiting the chamber. As soon as Sora pulled the door closed, the barest whisper in his mind warned Riku of another's approach. As soon as he heard that, he signalled to Sora and turned around, dropping to one knee in front of the statue. As soon as he heard the younger elfkin kneel beside him, they both began a whispered prayer to Shiva, and not a moment too soon.

"I thought that I might find you two here. Do you realize that your lesson was supposed to start nearly a mark ago?" The soft voice of the Faefolk caused both younglings to smile at just how close they had been to getting caught once again.

Sora was the first to finish his whispered prayer before rising up and turning to face their tutor. "We know how important it is to give our thanks to Shiva every day."

An electric blue eye was visible as Zexion raised his eyebrow. Knowing that it was pointless to ask the Earth Voices or the Wind Spirits when it came to Riku, he just sighed. Because despite the prince not holding control over the air elements, they refused to betray anything having to do with the young heir. "And you haven't been getting into mischief?"

Offering the slate haired Fae a grin, Riku then picked himself off the floor before offering the statue one last bow. "Of course we haven't been." There was a false sincerity in his voice, but the young elfkin knew that the Earth Voices would not betray him.

Not believing his student's words in the least, the Fae just sighed. "Very well. Then let us hurry off to your studies. As soon as those are finished, then you may go off on a small adventure before your after-nooning lessons."

"Why only a small adventure, Zexion?" Sora questioned with a very convincing pout. After all, if the Fae suspected that they were planning to sneak off, their plan would never work.

With a light chuckle, the slate haired Fae took one each of the elfkin's hands and began to lead the younglings to the teaching chamber, knowing that if he allowed them to follow him, they would run off. It had happened many times before. "If the two of you spent as much time on your studies as you did on your adventures, you would be free of the lessons sooner."

Neither elfkin said anything in response, but they did share a grin. They allowed themselves to be led to the teaching chamber, running to sit at their desks as soon as they entered. The Fae wished for a moment that the Elemental Voices were not so silent when it came to Riku. He knew that the two were up to something, and they would probably end up in trouble of some sort. It would be easier to handle these situations if he could only be warned of them beforehand. Zexion himself had entered into the Dream Realms many times to find out why the Voices refused to speak of the young prince and the only response he ever received was that the young elfkin had a destiny.

As they sat at their desks and Zexion began reading a text about a campaign from the last war, Riku got to work on the plan that they had planned out. As soon as Zexion's voice feel into a gentle rhythm of the lesson, the young prince allowed his eyes to close in what looked like concentration. In fact though, Riku was entering a spell casting. While he had control of the Earth Voices like no other, the young elfkin still had troubles with his spells if he didn't enter a trance.

Sora periodically looked over at his friend to ensure that it wasn't obvious as to what he was doing, asking questions of the Fae whenever it looked like he might notice what Riku was up to. With no other wanting, a non-tangible blanket fell over the young brunet, feeling suppressive and smothering. Gasping for breath, Sora desperately looked around to see what was happening, blue eyes going wide as he watched Zexion collapse onto the desk, the history tome falling carelessly to the floor. Feeling more frightened than ever before, he looked towards Riku, the overwhelming pressure making it harder and harder for him to move with every passing second.

As quickly as it began, the air returned to normal, lifting completely from the room and off the young swordsworn. It felt as if he couldn't catch his breath fast enough as he finally was able to look over at Riku, who appeared completely unaffected by the blanket of pressure. Zexion however remained collapsed on the desk unmoving, but a whisper from the Earth Voices assured Sora that the Fae was still alive, just in a deep slumber at the moment.

"What did you do to him?" Sora questioned, a little shaken by what had just occurred but not letting it show.

If possible, the prince's breath was even shallower than his friend's. For only a moment, he laid his head down on the table he was seated at, trying to collect himself. "It is a spell of slumber that Elder Vexen taught me to help defend against invaders. Better to immobilize them than kill them. It is meant for larger groups."

"Is that why I could feel it too?"

Riku just chuckled, "No, you felt it because I had to make it only target Fae and not elfkin and then contain it to this room, so that all the Faefolk in Althenia didn't collapse." If possible, the younger elfkin's eyes went even wider. He had no idea that his best friend was that powerful already. A spell like that took a lot of concentration and power. He had only ever seen or heard of Vexen being capable of performing such magical feats.

Standing up and placing one hand on the pale haired elfkin's shoulder, the youngling couldn't help the worry and concern that was apparent on his face and lacing his voice. "Are you going to be alright?"

Smiling, Riku finally sat up and pushed the hair out of his face. "I'm good now. I borrowed the energies of the Earth Voices and that's not easy. Now, I don't know how long the spell will last, so we need to get going before Zexion wakes up." As if exhaustion had not held hold of him only moments earlier, the prince stood up, leaving Sora standing there in complete disbelief.

Wasting no time, the two then hurried out of the chamber, hurrying back down the alabaster corridors. By the time that they return to the onyx statue of Shiva inlaid with sapphires, the two younglings were both laughing to almost hysterics as well as being completely out of breath. The younger elfkin leaned up against the figure as he stood lookout while his friend retrieved their weapons from their hiding place. When he heard Riku moving, Sora took the offered blades and strapped them to his body with practice, watching as Riku did the same. With a shared grin of mischief, they then took off once again down the hallway, taking a well memorized route towards a passage that would lead them outside the palace walls with very little chance of encountering anyone else.

They didn't stop until they reached a partially hidden doorway that was deep in the servant's quarters. Both younglings were sure that when Masters Squall and Cloud had shown them this escape route out of the palace, they hadn't realized that it would be used as the most comment route for the two friends to sneak out. Giving a quick look behind them as well as listening to the Earth Voices to ensure that they weren't being followed, Riku then pushed the wooden door open, before ushering Sora in first. As soon as the brunet was inside, the prince followed, pulling the door closed behind them. Sora had already located the torch they always left here and lit it.

With a long familiar practice, the two young elfkin walked through the dimly lit passage. After spending so much time in the pale halls of the palace, the packed earthen walls of the underground pathway seemed so dark. Both friends felt completely at east and safe surrounded by the earth, knowing that the Earth Voices could be heard very strongly here and would warn them of any and all dangers. Also knowing that the ceiling was right below parts of the palace, they both remained completely silent as to not allow their voices to carry through the floor and up to where someone might hear them.

The trek didn't take that long trough the winding tunnel, neither of them jumping whenever a small animal would cross their path or a plant root would brush against them. After walking for quite some distance, the faint light from the torch in the brunet's hand illuminated the sealed exit. Riku approached the solid rock wall and placed one finger on the smooth surface. With a barely audible whisper, the prince spoke the proper spell of release as he traced a rune on the stone. Instantly the large stone split down the middle, swinging open and flooding light into the dark tunnel.

With strain and concentration, Sora smothered the flame of the torch with only a single word. Magic was still very difficult for him, himself all too like his parents in preferring to handle things with his blade instead. He placed the extinguished torch inside the tunnel for easy retrieval for when they snuck back in this way. Stepping out into the contrasting warmth from the damp tunnel, both younglings had to temporarily squint at the sudden brightness of the sunlight. The passage had led them out deep into Demetris forest. They were on the northern end of the forest which worked out well for their adventure today. The gorge was not far from their current location, and from Riku's deductions from Elder Vexen's maps that the abandoned village wouldn't be much further from that. The two friends had always been warned and forbidden to cross the gorge. allowed to explore in it, but never go to the other side of it. With the tales that Master Cloud and Master Squall told them, it was usually enough to keep their curiosity at bay. Today was different however.

"Haven Blessed Shiva. I cannot believe that we're doing this!" Sora exclaimed, jumping up and down in place twice. It was very rare for the young brunet to do anything quite this rebellious so easily. Normally Riku had to spend weeks trying to convince his friend to go along with something of this magnitude. For some reason though, this time the brunet almost had been the one to convince the prince to go through with this plan.

With a chuckle, the pale haired elfkin unstrung his bow from around his chest, nocking an arrow as he did so. "I know. We should consider moving though as Zexion will awaken soon now that I am out of range for my magic to continue working and both Master Squall and Master Cloud know about us using this passage way to sneak out." Grinning broadly towards his best friend, the prince then took the lead, racing through the forest, ensuring that he kept his mind open to its full extent to listen to the Earth Voices.

The twosome passed soundlessly through the forest, not stopping to admire any of the flora or foliage. They had been in the forest enough and been schooled in the ability to identify any of them on sight, but on this day, that was not a priority. Aided by the enhancements that ambrosia granted to elfkin, they flew through the trees at a rapid pace. The Earth Voices were silent to both elfkin, warning neither of them of any dangers coming their way. Even the sound of the birds and other wildlife were quiet to their ears as their feet barely connected with the moss covered ground of Althenia's largest forest.

It wasn't until they finally got to the grassy clearing that served as the border between the forest and the gorge that Riku finally eased the grip on his arrow, allowing the string to relax. Although he was training with his swordskills almost daily, the prince still found it easier to wield a bow some times. Especially when Sora was around since the petit brunet favoured an aggressive style of dagger in one hand and short sword in the other. It made the two of them a formidable team despite their young ages.

Hearing Sora sheathing one of his blades, the silver haired elfkin lowered himself to one knee at the edge of the gorge, looking down into the deep cut in the land. "How exactly are we going to cross the gorge again?" the younger elfkin asked, coming to kneel by his friend. While they had been down into the lengthy gorge many times before, they had never actually been to the other side, mainly because the crevasse ran along the border to the Forbidden Lands that had been uninhabited since the end of the war.

"Shhh," whispered the prince as he placed one hand onto the grass in front of him, eyes closing as a string of melodious whispers sounded from thin lips. At first the words were quiet and barely audible, but with each repetition, the volume and force increased until Riku was in a full trance while chanting. As his eyes slowly opened, the brunet could see that the bright aquamarine eyes were glowing with the spell, something that Sora had never seen happen before. After several long moments of listening to the chanting and thinking that nothing was going to happen, Sora suddenly was told by the Earth Voices all at once to brace himself.

Following the instructions that he had received from some of Elder Vexen's scrolls as an incantation for the spell, the prince continued to echo the words while fully opening the channels of his magic. Without any warning at all, the entire ground began to shake beneath their very feet. At that moment, Riku abruptly cut off his chanting and stood up, allowing the spell to take effect.

"What's happening, Riku?" there was a little bit of fear in the younger elfkin's words as he stepped beside his best friend, grabbing onto the prince's arm. At the touch, the younger elfkin could tell that his friend was shaking and that Riku was breathing heavier than normal. Maybe it was just the fact that the entire earth was moving beneath their feet, but Sora could sense that it was something more.

With a heavy sigh, the prince leaned against the smaller body as support for a moment. After the two spells that he had recently performed, Riku felt that his magic was completely drained. He had never before used this much power and not so close together. It would take some time before his magicks replenished themselves. "Just watch," the taller youngling whispered, allowing his eyes to slide closed.

The blue eyed youngling was slightly worried about his friend's condition, but trusted him. He could only look out into the gorge while continuing to support Riku as the ground consistently shook underneath their feet. Still unsure of what he was supposed to be looking for, the brunet just scanned the land. Suddenly, the quake blow them increased in intensity before several large boulders rose from the gorge bottom, flying through the air as if they were weightless. With a gasp, Sora watched as rock after rock flew up until they began to create a bridge starting at their feet. "What's happening?"

Riku couldn't speak as he continued to try and regain his energy. All he could do was smile as he observed his spell in action. Each rock fitted perfectly against the one beside it and in no time, a stone bridge spanned across the gorge. When he felt the last boulder move into place, the prince finally lifted himself off of the support of his best friend. The Earth Voices spoke no warning to him, so he placed one foot onto the bridge, turning towards the younger elfkin. "Coming?"

"Is it safe?" there was a timid tone that normally wasn't present in his voice as he began to slowly approach the newly constructed bridge, stopping just before setting foot on it. Though he trusted Riku, a magically constructed bridge that assembled itself in only a few moments right before his eyes with nothing supporting it over a gorge that was deeper than any other? Not so much.

Laughing at Sora's reaction, the silver haired elfkin took several more steps on the bridge, feeling the complete sturdiness below him. "Of course it is. Now come on! We're almost there! Race you across!" with that, Riku took off running.

Not able to resist a challenge like that, the youngling shot off after his friend over the bridge, laughing all the way.

Sensing that the smaller elfkin was close behind him, the prince picked up speed, knowing that he had to beat his best friend across the bridge. He could feel the magic laying within the stones of the construction, but he could also feel the sturdiness in them. The spell had done exactly as he had hoped it would and the silver haired elfkin knew that chances were that nothing could bring down the bridge short of magic or killing him. As usual, Riku continued to lead even as the end of the bridge came into sight. As soon as he stepped foot onto solid ground, the prince bent over to catch his breath, positive that he had won. He should have known better. After only a few moments, Riku found himself falling forward as Sora jumped onto his back, sending them both sprawling.

"You cheated!" the common accusation came from the brunet, laced with laughter. It was the sure sign that Sora had lost. And it was also normal that they stayed like that for several moments with the younger elfkin sitting on his friend as they continued to gasp for breath. As they sat there for a few moments, both younglings jumped as a crumbling, followed by a loud crashing came from behind them.

The prince couldn't resist laughing at the sound, especially when he felt Sora stiffen up at the noise. Obviously the bridge was not meant to stay up while they were off exploring. At least that would make sure that no one would be able to follow them easily. Still feeling the exertion from the early spell casting, Riku stayed as he was for a few moments longer.

"Do we know which way we need to go from here?" Sora asked as he rested his chin between his friend's shoulder blades. The forest around them was dark, even the bright sunlight not able to penetrate the thick canopy of the tree tops. Where they had never explored this area of the Demetris forest, the younger elfkin felt a little frightened at the thought of the journey through them. But that wasn't enough to stop them for doing just that.

Feeling both his breath and his magical energies returning slowly to him, Riku looked around their position. "Can you make a small light so I can see?" Feeling the nod against his back, the short whisper of words from behind him was followed by a flash of light that all shrunk into a condensed orb that floated a few feet in front of them, the pure essence bathing everything in its soft light. Mage lights were one of the few spells that gave Sora absolutely no problems ad he was proud of that. The orbs that he created as well usually were brighter and lasted longer without thought that those produced by even the most experienced elfkin. It was definitely helpful when Riku was exhausted or couldn't spare the energy for one. Sending the light into the forest, the brunet moved it slowly in hopes that it would illuminate some sort of landmark for his friend to recognize. "There!" At the prince's cry, the younger elfkin stopped moving the light on what looked like a tree that had been stripped of all its bark.

Picking themselves off the forest floor, the two younglings then made their way over to the post. Upon closer inspection, they noticed that the bark had not naturally been taken off the single tree. It had been magically scorched off, judging by the remaining blackness at the base that had not been created by any natural flame. Also on the pale wood, only slightly above the two elfkin's line of sight, they both noticed a single dark mark. "A rune?" whispered Sora as Riku reached up and ran his fingers over it.

"It was made by tainted magic. But it's old. Very old. We need to follow these posts and it will lead us to the settlement. But the Voices tell me that it has been abandoned for many, many years," the silver haired elfkin spoke softly as he ran one finger over the dark mark. The residual magic that lay within the engraving spoke to the young prince and in an instant, he had the dark energy signature memorized and felt a pulling in another direction: the direction of the next post. "This way!"

The brunet nodded, temporarily sheathing his dagger, leaving his short sword in hand. "Alright, but first we should have some of this." With that said Sora reached into his adventure pouch and pulled out two medium sized pieces of the sweet ambrosia squares that they both enjoyed so much. As they ate them, the older elfkin felt his magic powers returning at an accelerated rate now. It wouldn't be long before he would feel fully replenished, and that time should coincide with the time that they would reach the village.

Without a word, the two friends then rearmed themselves then began following the residual trail of dark magic that only Riku could properly sense through the forest, Sora's mage light bobbing gently a short distance ahead of them. There was no other light in the forest, the thick treetops preventing any natural light to penetrate this deep into the woods. They both continued to keep their weapons at the ready to be prepared for any sort of encounter. Neither made a noise as they travelled from post to post, even their footsteps making little noise on the deadfall covering the forest floor thanks to training they had received from the swordsmasters. It was also due to that training that neither of them jumped whenever there was a sound caused by something other than themselves.

Twice, Riku shot arrows into the darkness, hearing nothing but more rustling of the plants after the arrows were loosed, frightening whatever creature off. Both younglings noticed that after nearly an hour of cutting through the forest, the trees were becoming thinner with every few steps. Finding the next pole, Riku felt a distinct change in the magical energies. "We're at the last marker. The abandoned village is straight ahead now. Are you ready?"

The mage light began to pulse rapidly in front of them, causing both of the younglings to watch it with confusion on their faces. "I wonder why it's doing that?" questioned the brunet, reaching out to touch the light, his eyes un-focusing in concentration.

As Sora did that, the prince opened his mind once again to the Earth Voices, but they remained silent and gave no indication of danger ahead. Thanks to the ambrosia, Riku felt that his magical reserves were completely replenished now, despite the two major spells that he had performed in such a short amount of time. The sounds of nature were surprisingly silent around them, but that did not surprise the elfkin much as they both could feel the poison that had been inflicted on the land from the nearby village. According to the few available records in Althenia about the blood elves practices, the prince had been able to learn that the entire Earth would come to detest the surrounding lands that had been tainted with the violent and gruesome deaths of innocents. That caused the wildlife to abandon the area. "Are we ready?"

"I am," Sora said with excitement in his voice. His made light had steadied out once again and the brunet offered no explanation as to what had caused the previous reaction. The two of them took one more moment to ensure that they were properly prepared before taking off in the final direction of the dark energies. They passed through the forest as the trees began to thin with each step, light slowly filtering through. Neither of the younglings had ever been this far from the palace before and that thought was exhilarating. With their weapons still at the ready, they continued to be on alert despite the lack of warnings from the Earth Voices. The only information that Riku was able to gather from them was the distance remaining to their destination, but it still wasn't as clear as the voices normally were.

The dark magic was becoming almost tangible as they covered the distance quickly, eagerness to reach their destination stronger than ever. Each passing moment brought more light and anticipation to them and fuelled their every step. Suddenly, just as quickly as they had found themselves in the forest, the dense trees came to a stop, sunlight bursting over everything and illuminating it. It caused the two friends to stop dead in their tracks in order to observe what they came across.

The land they had come upon was completely barren of any sort of life, plant or animal. All that remained was dust, rock and husks of what was once there. Skeletons of what they thought were the remains of houses were the only structures that remained, covered in the dust that the wind had deposited on them that remained undisturbed after Shiva knew how long. It wasn't difficult for either elfkin to notice that he could see no apparent life or movement from their positions just above the village. There was a rocky slope that led down into the abandoned settlement, but it didn't seem as if it would be difficult to traverse down. What stood out most in the desolation, however, was what appeared to be the city square. It was at the exact centre of the village, easily seen from cliff side, large boulders surrounding the area. Piled in the middle of the boulders was a mound of stones, the top of which was a slab, perfectly flat, appearing to be a much darker shade than the rest of the rock. It had to be some sort of alter. Neither elfkin wanted to consider what the darkness had been caused by, especially since it was easily seen even through the thick layers of dust and sand.

"Sweet glorious Shiva," the brunet whispered in awe. He had never seen something even close to what they were currently looking upon.

With a small grin, the prince could only nod in agreement at the statement. He could feel the history all around him, but still found it odd that he could hear even the barest trace of the Earth Voices here. He couldn't recall not being able to hear them for so long a time before. They would return soon though, he was sure of it. There must have been something about the village that held them quiet. Now however, his curiosity was getting the better of him. "Want to go further down?" without waiting to hear Sora's answer, Riku then began to climb down the embankment.

Sora's bright blue eyes went wide, but he couldn't let his best friend think that he was a coward. Being mindful of the loose rocks, he followed the silver haired elfkin down into the eerie silence of the village. "Wait up, Riku!" he called as his friend got further and further ahead of him. When the brunet was finally able to catch up to the prince, Riku was standing alongside the alter, looking around to take everything in. both of them could feel the dark power that had been performed here in the past and it caused them both to shiver at the sensation. It was quite disturbing. Standing there however, something began to nag at the younger elfkin. He couldn't quite figure out what it was as of yet though. Riku didn't seem to feel the same thing as he began to look closer on the runes that he revealed under the layers of dust with one swipe of his hand. The markings decorated the flat stone in the centre and they were ones that he did not recognize, which surprised him. Riku was sure that he knew all the runes in their language, and that made him all the more interested in what he was seeing now. Nothing short of an ambush would take the silver haired elfkin's attention away from them.

An ambush. That's what the nagging in the back of the brunet's mind had been about, and the reason for the pulsing mage light.

The Earth Voices were trying to warn him of an ambush.

"Riku! We aren't alone here!" Sora cried, drawing both his blades instantly again, his body going into a ready battle stance instantly.

As if that comment was enough to summon them, three shadows appeared from nowhere and surrounded the two of them. Before Riku even had a chance to rise to his feet from his crouched position, the two friends found themselves held at the point of two lances, a very broad sword and the tip of a very sharp arrow that seemed to be dripping a dark liquid that was too thick to be water.

"Well, well, well. What do we have here? A couple of light-walkers in our territory? What shall we do with these poor little elflets?" A sarcastic voice said from above them, causing the two youngling's blood to run cold in their veins. They were going to die, and no one knew where to find them.

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SO this chapter (and the next one) have been done for over a month. I would have had it up so much sooner, but my beta seems to have disappeared….So you will have to forgive me for the self-beta I did. Also, I am going to blame any mistakes on Pahoyhoy and her L'il Hoy because I am currently visiting them and having an absolute blast here! I I will try and get the next chapter out in the next week or so, but no promises, as I am being distracted in the best way possible! Thanks so much to everyone who has supported me so far with this story, it's nice to be able to finally write this story. And I'm definitely using this visit with Pahoyhoy to iron out any details and things like that that I was still working on figuring out! Thanks again and until next time!


	5. Chapter Four

In The Marble Halls Of Althenia

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Chapter Four

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Fear was overwhelming the young prince's mind, but thankfully the training that had been instilled in him for so long now took over. Nocking an arrow, Riku raised his bow, easily identifying the stranger wielding the lance to be the target he should take aim for. It wasn't as if he thought he was more powerful or could take him on one on one, it was that he would be able to hit the lancer before the other archer would be able to hit him. Yet, feeling a set of small shoulders pressing against his back made the silver haired youngling's fear subside slightly. He felt so much stronger with Sora at his back, though he felt no less frightened.

The brunet elfkin had both blades at the ready and had chosen the archer as his target. There was no way that his dagger or his short sword would be any match for the broadsword that the other held. "Riku…" whispered Sora, none of his fear showing in his voice. His parents had taught him well. "Blood elves…""

"Sweet merciful Shiva," the prince's aqua eyes were wide as he came to the same conclusion. Even their presence was having an effect on him.

"Pray to your goddess, Light walker. She has no power here," the obvious lead, the one with the sword, spoke with a chill in his voice that caused the two younglings to press closer together.

Riku took in a deep breath and swallowed, every bit of training that had been engraved in him taking over. "How dare you threaten the future ruler of Althenia? This will spark outrage and battles between our people. Release us and you shall be forgiven."

The blood elf with the bow laughed loudly, while the other two only sneered in the youngling's direction. "Do you really think that we care that you're the bastard son of that false king?" the archer laughed, pulling his arrow further back, the dark liquid continuing to drip slowly from the point. Just as he was about to loose the arrow, a stone flew into the front of his bow, the projectile knocked to the ground.

The lancer growled loudly, the points of the two long spears prodding closer to the two elfkin. "Do not attempt your magicks here, light walker. They hold no power in this land." His voice was deep and held power that the youths had never experienced before. Now they knew just how much trouble they had gotten themselves into.

"Enough chatter. Let's show this little princeling what we do to curious little light walkers that come into our territories," the archer smirked as he drew another arrow, completely unphased by the loss of his first, and prepared to shoot.

The two elfkin took in sharp breaths, sure that this was a battle that they could not win. The Earth Voices had gone silent for both of them once again, and despite the small amount of power that Riku had been able to attack with that single stone, he could feel no other magic ready to answer him. They were going to die. They would not go down without a fight though.

Time seemed to slow around them as they both watched the arrow be released from the archer's hands, flying through the air towards them. They both prepared to dodge the arrow, but before they had the chance to do so, a strong gust of wind arose around them, condensing into a shield and knocking the arrow out of the air once more, causing it to fall to the ground with barely any sound. The three blood elves all looked down at the arrow in surprise, before looking around with expressions of utter contempt as they searched for the source of the magic.

They were not waiting long as a figure jumped off of one of the nearby roofs, landing close to the small group, wind currents arising around him slow and cushion his decent.

"Zexion!" Sora and Riku exclaimed together once they saw the Fae. Though they both felt relief at the appearance of their tutor, both younglings knew that they were still at an extreme disadvantage. Zexion's skills lay in support and defense, so it would do little for aiding two half grown elfkin in fighting these heathen elves.

"Well, if it isn't the King's minion," the archer smirked, moving his aim over to the new adversary. They all knew that the Fae would not be able to protect both himself and the young elfkins, and if he chose to shield his wards, those shields would fall the moment that the caster did. Thus the other two chose to continue their targeting of the lesser threats. Despite the danger that they knew that they were in, neither of the younglings hold on their weapons waivered.

As sudden as the winds had appeared, a complete silence fell over everyone, voices and breath stolen, causing silent panic amongst the blood elves. The elfkin however remained calm, recognizing the tactic and used the confusion to rush over to where Zexion was still crouching. As soon as they were both behind him, a few murmured words were overheard and the two younglings felt a shield of pure wind condensing around them.

"Zexion, I'm so sorry…" whispered Riku, hysteria beginning to colour his words now that the initial courage was dissipating. Sora was shaking so hard that he was unable to sheath his blades without injuring himself, so he settled on just dropping them to the ground.

"Shh. There will be a time later to apologize and discuss any wrong doings," the Fae said, strain apparent on his face and in his voice, belaying just how hard even he was finding it to call upon his magicks in this strange territory.

As soon as the three blood elves noticed that their prey had retreated to behind their rescuer, they began to descend upon them, the panic that the blanket of silence had brought on dissipating momentarily. Gasping loudly, Sora and Riku huddled behind Zexion, knowing that the less space he needed to shield, the easier it would be on him. Just as the two younglings saw that the blood elves were approaching close enough to them that a single thrust of any of their weapons would penetrate the wind shield, two figures landed on either side of the blood elves, swords at the ready.

"Father! Papa!" Sora exclaimed as the two swordsmasters began to attack their opponents relentlessly. Neither acknowledged their son as they swung their blades with precision and despite being out numbered, easily pushed their foes back towards their original position and away from the younglings. Even with the battle moving away from them, Zexion refused to release his shield.

Cloud and Squall moved almost effortlessly with the maneuvers that they practiced daily to perfect. Swords sang as they flew through the air, colliding with lance and blade, the archer being disarmed within the first moments, blood pouring from the slashes along both his hands. Even the lancer was being subdued quickly, taking on Squall. The sword-wielding blood elf was caught up in battle with Cloud, and was still holding his own. Obviously he had the most skill and training of the three heathens, but still was not a challenge for the blond swordsmaster.

A loud clang drew the attention of the three spectators in the direction of Squall to witness the lancer's weapon falling to the ground, it's wielder following only moments later. He wasn't dead, just knocked out. However, even though his opponent was out cold, the brunet swordsmaster did not let his guard down. As his steely eyes scanned over the fallen blood elf, movement caught his vision, causing him to jerk towards it.

The archer had retrieved one of his comrade's lost lances. Brandishing it as well as he had his own weapon, he charged the elfkin, madness reflecting in his amber eyes. Squall however was ready for him. With skillful strokes, the brunet swordsworn's blade connected with the lance, hitting it in the best places to send the vibrations through the archer's already damaged hands. Eventually the blood that was seeping out of the wounds slicked the blade too much, forcing the blood elf to relinquish his hold. With the madness of bloodlust and battle thirst still visible in all his features, the archer remained standing, determined to see this through.

"Stand down," Squall ordered in his icy cold voice.

Reflecting the true insanity within the mind of the blood elf, he just laughed and straightened his stance. "Need I remind you that you are in our territory, Light walker?" though he was unarmed and his hands continued to drip dark blood, he once again charged at the elfkin, but did not make it that far this time. With grace and efficiency, Squall's blade fell four times. Twice, the attacks were dodged by the archer, while two of the strokes hit home. Thick lines of blood appeared along the blood elf's face, including one that traced directly through his right eye. Not crying out, the archer just paused, stained hands going up to his now ruined face. None of his wounds would be fatal, provided he received the proper medical attention in time.

"Traitors…" he growled, clutching his eye and falling to his knees before collapsing completely, as out cold as his comrade.

Just as the archer fell, the loud clatter of steel hitting the ground caused the brunet to look over to his bonded. The blond swordmaster's opponent was also on the ground, twin ribbons of blood red liquid crossing over the bridge of his nose. But like the others, he was merely unconscious, not dead.

"Squall," Cloud said, the barest amount of a gasp lacing his words when he saw his bonded partner. Along the bridge of the brunet's own nose was a single line of dripping blood, thus far unnoticed by Squall.

The steel eyed swordsmaster reached a hand up to feel the wetness. However, they both knew that this was not the place to linger over this. Zexion wouldn't be able to shield the younglings much longer. Though they turned their attention from the fallen blood elves, their defences were not lowered. Blood elves were masters of deception and though they were unconscious at the moment, there was no telling how long they would remain that way.

"Father?" Sora whispered, unshed tears glistening in the corner of his eyes as the two swordsmasters approached the exhausted Fae and the two younglings. As soon as they were within arm's reach, Zexion finally dropped the shield, collapsing backwards, Riku reacting quickly to catch him before he hit the ground. Sora ran over to Squall, attaching himself to Squall's legs, worried at the sight of blood on his father's face. The young prince averted his eyes at the sight of Master Cloud joining his son and partner, limping slightly from a previously unrealized injury along one leg, running a finger over the minor injury that ran along his bonded's brow. Riku didn't want to intrude on the familial moment, knowing that his own reunion with his father would be more lecturing than touching moments. Instead, he focused on helping the weakened Fae to his feet.

"I'm so sorry, Zexion," Riku whispered, a slight shake to his words. This was the closest he had ever been to true danger, and it had left him rather unsettled. "Are you going to be alright? I wish that we could give you some ambrosia."

Though the Fae continued to hold onto the prince for support, his strength was returning naturally. Unfortunately the powerful magicks of the Fae did not allow them to consume ambrosia as the elfkin did. If one did, it would overwhelm their senses and magicks too much, literally burning them from the inside out. It was both an advantage and a disadvantage to them. "Thank you for your concern, my prince. I am recovering as we speak. We should hurry back to your father and Lord Xemnas before long however. They are waiting near the gorge, warding the area from others like those miscreants and holding a bridge stable until our return."

Just as the words left Zexion's mouth, the two swordsmasters approached them, their son held tightly in Squall's arms, fast asleep. Cloud knelt down in front of his prince, ignoring his own injury and placed a strong hand on Riku's still shaking shoulder. "Are you hurt, my prince?" There was neither disappointment nor judgement in the blond swordsmaster's voice, only concern, and that made the young elfkin feel all the worse. Unable to verbally reply, Riku just shook his head. "Very well. Zexion, are you up for travel yet?"

The Fae nodded, taking his weight off the prince. "Yes, but I'm afraid we ought to hurry. My strength is returning from the beacons that I set to guide and ward our return."

"Then let us make haste," Cloud answered, standing and beginning the trek back to the chasm, the others following in his wake.

No words were spoken as they traversed from one guidepost to the next, Zexion pausing at each one to recite a brief incantation before the magic that he had left there on the journey in returned to its caster. Riku could not even look up at any of his protectors, the shame that he felt was far too great. He had directly disobeyed so many, including his father, his Lord Uncle and the Elder Magus. His pride and curiosity had been too much, and now he was learning the cost. Not only had he put himself in grave danger, but he had endangered Sora as well. That he had to be rescued by Cloud, Squall and Zexion, resulting in injuring one enough that it would probably scar and draining another's magicks enough for him to collapse, it all weighed heavily on the prince's small shoulders. Why had he ever thought that this had been a good idea? And why had he dragged so many others along with him?

By the time that they reached the gorge, silent tears were running down the prince's face, unnoticed by the rest of the party. Seeing his father and Lord Uncle standing there patiently, something broke free inside him. Rushing past Zexion, the prince ran over and knelt down in front of his father, tears still falling from his reddened aqua eyes. "Father, please forgive me. I didn't know that this would happen. I am so sorry. I put myself before others, and that endangered them. I was so foolish. Please forgive me."

Ansem then knelt down himself, reaching one hand up to lift his son's bowed head. He remained silent for several moments, just looking over Riku's face and into his eyes. "Your remorse is true. You have learned your lesson of how your actions affect others. You are forgiven, my son." With each word that the king spoke, the youngling's eyes went wider and wider.

He then flung himself into his father's arms, desiring the contact that he rarely craved. With a soft chuckle, Ansem stood up, holding his son in his arms, fully aware that the moment that the embrace had begun, the prince's emotions and experiences finally overtook him and he joined his best friend in a state of unconsciousness.

"Xemnas," the king said, turning to his brother who stood off to one side, completely emotionless while regarding this entire scene.

"Yes, my king?" the small bow he made would almost seem mocking to some, but it was just the way that the former heir was.

"Take a small score of border guards and check the wards around this forest. The ones we erected must have faded over the years. Riku should never have been able to make it that far into the forest, let alone all the way to the village. Please go and ensure they are strong enough that this not happen again," Ansem instructed, trusting his brother with this task.

"Of course, Sire," Xemnas replied, signalling across the bridge for four of the border guards that they had brought with them in case the party of Zexion, Squall and Cloud had not been able to subdue the enemies.

With a sigh, Ansem looked down at his sleeping son, then over to the three that had rescued him. "Thank you," he nodded to each in turn as the guards moved passed him, following Xemnas into the Dark Wood and seemingly melting into the shadows. "I don't know what I would do if anything had happened to Riku. Let us return to the castle so that you can all have a well-earned and deserved rest and we can tend to your wounds."

Xemnas stood just beyond the boarder of the forest, watching discretely as the King and his retainers crossed the bridge and headed back towards the marble palace that could only barely be seen from here.

"Spread out along the edge of the forest Check the wards and reinforce them with sigils of protection and ensure that they were not tampered with. The only magical signatures that should be within those wards are my own and those of the king," the Lord said, instructing the four soldiers that had been left to him. "I will travel into the wood itself and try and eradicate any trail that the prince may have left through residual magicks."

"Lord Xemnas, will you be safe alone? From the sight of Master Squall and Master Cloud, a battle took place. Blood elves are dangerous," one of the nameless soldiers questioned, obviously frightened by the thought of running into those who had injured the two most skilled warriors in all of Althenia.

At the words, Xemnas broke into a truly evil smile, "No blood elf would ever lay a hand on me, and especially not after attacking one of my family," he spoke, his voice sending chills up and down the all the guard's spines, and they all knew that the Lord was telling the truth.

The moment that he waved his hand and sent the soldiers to their duties, Xemnas melted into the shadows of the forest, leaving no trace of his previous position. Easily navigating through the blackened woods, the Lord made his way to the abandoned settlement in a time frame that was unheard of. When he got there, he saw the three defeated blood elves just beginning to pick themselves up off the ground, only now taking notice of their injuries.

"That filthy, traitorous light walker! He cut my damn eye out! He will pay!" growled the archer as the lancer examined the wound, pressing a cloth to it stop the blood flow.

"And are you to tell me that the three chosen warriors of Diablos himself were unable to take down two half trained elfkin?" Xemnas questioned, his voice a dead calm as he announced his presence to the other three.

"Lord Xemnas," the lancer nodded in respect before returning to assisting his companion.

"How were we supposed to know how soon those blasted minions would show up so soon? And that Fae! We didn't expect him either! We were only told that we would need to dispose of the bastard prince," the archer continued to gripe. He was still agitated as he snatched the cloth out of the other's hands to clean his own optical wound, ignoring the blood that continued to flow from the gashes on his hands and along one cheek.

"Xigbar, show Lord Xemnas some respect," the cerulean haired swordself said monotonously from where he was still bowing.

The comment caused the rage that was pent up inside Xigbar to boil even further over. He was smart enough not to move much as the wounds were still open, but his minimal movements did show his anger well enough. "My eye was cut out by that upstart little traitor! I am allowed to be this upset, Saïx!" the archer exclaimed, throwing his cloth to the ground, ignoring the sign of exasperation that sounded from the lancer who then began to slowly bandage his comrade's hands. "Make sure they will all scar, Xaldin. I want him to see me and know that I will be coming for revenge."

Xemnas closed his eyes, and the scent of the spilt blood on the battlefield invaded his senses. "Will someone please explain how such skilled Stygian Daekin such as you three did not manage to kill those younglings when I delivered them directly into your hands? I even went through the trouble of tampering with their ambrosia in order to block out their Earth Voices and keyed the trail for only that bastard son of my brother to find his way here. All you had to do was kill them. They were helpless."

"We were reckless. We did not expect the Fae to join those warriors," explained Xaldin, ignoring Xigbar's ranting and growls as he began to wrap the facial wounds.

The response caused the Lord to growl as he sent a wave of pure dark magic towards the archer and lancer, knocking them over once more. "That still does not tell me why the three of you failed and were defeated by only two of them. I am well aware that the Fae played no part in the battle directly. You had them outnumbered, and yet still you lost."

The two Daekin groaned as the oppressive blanket of power continued to press down on them, the pain from this more than all of their other wounds combined. The agony was both mental and physical, and with every passing second that it continued to press down on them, it threatened to sever their ties to life.

"Lord Xemnas, it would serve you no purpose to kill these two," the steady voice of Saïx said as the swordself placed a brave hand on the silver haired figure's shoulder. It would be a foolish move for anyone else to attempt, but Saïx knew that it would be safe for him.

The writhing figures of the two warriors suddenly stopped, the only sound that either of the dark haired figures were able to produce were gasping breaths, the pain being too much for either of them to manage anything more.

"And what do you have to say for yourself, Saïx? You were defeated just as they were," Xemnas' amber eyes were alight with anger and disappointment as he looked over to see the slightly shorter Daekin with his head still bowed, hiding his face from view.

"Allow them this victory. It will build their confidence and lower their defenses. Those light walkers will now believe that they can take us on and win. Then when they fall, the defeat will be more than they can handle, weakening your brother in turn. His undefeatable warriors dead at his feet, that Fae's throat slit from ear to ear, the Magus drained to nothing but a husk, and Ansem and the bastard under your blade."

At his brother's name, Xemnas sneered, but understood what Saïx was telling him. He would allow those light walkers this day, but not for long. This solidified that they would need to make their move soon. "Maybe we are going about this the wrong way," the Lord said, turning to face the Daekin. He placed one hand under Saïx's chin, instantly feeling the warm trickle of blood on his fingers. With a gentle touch, he tilted the cerulean haired Daekin's face upwards to gaze upon the now marred face.

If the smaller Daekin was in any pain, he didn't show it. Dark blood flowed from the crisscrossed ribbon cuts over his nose, leaving his pale face streaked with tears of blood. "How so, my Lord?"

Removing his hand from beneath the wet chin, Xemnas then reached his thumb out and pressed it against Saïx's forehead, just above where the injury began. At least the cuts were clean, and while they would scar, they would heal and suited the Stygian Daekin. "We were focusing on destroying my brother through others. Perhaps we should try a more….direct approach. And there may be a way for us to remove the bastard youngling at the same time. Without their king and precious prince, those light walkers will have no choice but to accept a legitimate child of Royal blood on the throne." As he spoke, Xemnas ran his thumb down over the other's nose, feeling the separated flesh and the warm liquid that continued to flow from the wound, though it was slowing. Lifting his blood covered thumb to his lips, the Lord then licked the dark liquid lavishly from his digit, relishing in the flavour that sent a chill of pleasure down his spine.

Bowing his head once more, Saïx could only allow himself a few simple words. "You honour us."

"Our son is the first that Diablos has ever blessed upon the Stygian Daekin. He is destined for such a role. The light walkers may not accept me as their ruler, but they must accept him. He was born from a true bond and has the royal blood. He will turn that Kingdom into what it deserves to be," whispered the Lord as the plan began to formulate in his dark mind. His son would be king, and his brother would be dead.

"I look forward to it, my Lord Xemnas," Xaldin said, bowing before finally being able to rise to his feet once more.

"Yeah, that's all great and everything, but before we do anything, we are going to need to recover. And seeing as it is a two day journey back to the Aresseth Mountains and our encampment, we have more pressing matters at hand," grumbled Xigbar as he wrapped a bandage around his head, securing the thickest part over his ruined eye. "You know that they are going to increase their defences and refuse to allow anyone close to the woods. How will we be able hunt?"

Xemnas rolled his eyes, turning towards the crude warrior. As if he hadn't already taken that into consideration. "I am about to return to the palace, covered in blood to tell the tale of how while I was checking the wards preventing light walkers from entering this part of the wood, I was attacked by those three 'blood elves'," he said the title with an absolute distain, barely able to keep his temper in check, "The border guards that were sent to accompany me sacrificed themselves in order to save my life and allow myself to escape."

Xigbar's bandaged face lit up with a smirk that was mirrored, though less intensely, on the other two warrior's faces as the three of them retrieved their weapons, the Lord unsheathing a set of twin rapiers from sheaths along his legs. Each blade had a jagged edge that reflected the darkening skies in a premonition of the blood that would soon stain them.

"What are we waiting for then?" the archer smirked, before following the other three from the long abandoned settlement.

* * *

Dun Dun Dun! The ball is rolling now! I love just how…poetic this chapter turned out. And I congratulate everyone who realized this this is a VERY loose adaption of The Lion King. But I prefer to this of it as an adaption of Hamlet ;) For those who never realized it (I did cause I'm not only a Disney nerd, I love me some Shakespeare as well) The Lion King was based off of Hamlet, Lion King II was based off Romeo and Juliet (albeit with a happier ending) and Lion King 1 ½ was based off Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead. Yay! Nerdness! Yes, I know that Shakespeare did not write RAGAD, but they are still his characters lol. I do however promise that there are going to be major changes in my story from the Lion King story line. It will not be a completely predictable retelling, I promise :D

Thanks to all your wonderful support, I truly believe that your words make me a better writer. And to my Pahoyhoy, the two weeks were more memorable than I can even explain. Though next time the location will be different, the love will remain the same. No words can describe how much I already miss you.

Until next time!


	6. Chapter Five

In The Marble Halls Of Althenia

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Chapter Five

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Many moons passed by with no one mentioning the incident that took place at the abandoned village. It was just one thing that went unsaid amongst the royal family and the others involved. It had caused Squall and Cloud to step up the young heir's training though, often putting the prince in similar situations like the one that he had been faced with to better his reactions.

There was only one that constantly reminded Riku of the trouble that he had gotten into that day. Lord Xemnas. Riku's uncle had returned to the castle after the scouting he had been assigned with, covered in blood, telling the tale of how he had been attacked by the three renegade Blood Elves and while he had returned mostly unharmed other than being covered in blood, the guards that he had taken with him had not survived the encounter. The only ones that didn't seem to be overly sympathetic to Lord's Xemnas' tale were Zexion, Squall, Cloud and Vexen. For the three former, it could be attributed to their own battle with the Blood Elves, though the Magus really had no reason to doubt Xemnas' story.

"Now, do you know why the Blood Elves weapons are so deadly, Young Riku? What did you notice about tem when you were surrounded that day?" Xemnas questioned his nephew as the two of them walked together through the armoury. Even if he wasn't the strongest of the warriors, there were few people in the kingdom that had the same knowledge of foreign weaponry as the Lord. Even the two swordsmasters could not best Xemnas when it came to knowledge of the enemies' weapons.

The prince paused, looking at a tarnished blade that hung on the wall of the armoury. The weapons that decorated the walls of this antechamber were all the surrendered weapons of defeated leaders that had tried to take over Althenia through the ages. They were never cleaned as a tribute to those whose blood had been spilled in the attempts. This particular sword looked far too much like the one that the lead Blood Elf had wielded and the memory caused the young elfkin to shudder. "Something was dripping off of the weapons. I don't know what it was though."

"Few do. There are only a handful in the entire kingdom that do, and of those, even fewer know its composition. It is a poison that is so foul that unless you have pledged yourself to their dark deity, Diablos, merely a few drops can kill you. I am impressed that the swordsmaster got away with only scarring. He could have suffered much more. It is created with the blood of their victims after they have drained him of all his magical properties. That process in turn causes it to become deadly to all others other than the…Blood Elves." The Lord said the last word as if it was acid, like it left a foul taste in his mouth.

Gulping deeply at the new information, it was thrown to Riku just how much danger he had put the others in once again. He would never again do something so foolish. Without offering his uncle a response, the prince approached a rack of spears that reminded him of another of the weapons that the Blood Elves used that day. When would he be able to forget that day? When would he be forgiven? He could have gotten himself, or worse – Sora- killed. Reaching one hand out; he placed it on the shaft of one of the spears, not knowing exactly why he did so.

The moment that his skin touched the wooden shaft, the temperature of the entire room dropped substantially. Shocked, Riku pulled his hand away and began to look all around the room, surprised to see his Lord Uncle standing there with a smile on his dark face. The Lord then nodded for his nephew to look back at the weapons. With wide eyes, the prince turned his head and saw that the spear shaft was now encased in ice, and ice crystals began to creep out from around it, dancing along the walls amid the other weapons. Soon enough, the frozen blanket spread onto the floor and ceiling, leaving a small section around Riku clear, and an even larger area around Lord Xemnas, before covering the opposite wall as well. "Wha…what's happening, Lord Uncle?" the youngling whispered, shakily, attempting to seek answers from the Earth Voices as well, but only hearing 'Shiva', 'Evil', 'Poison' and 'Sign' from them.

Lord Xemnas stepped forward, the odd smirk never leaving his face. The patch free of ice followed his steps as he came right up to his nephew. Kneeling down, he placed one hand on the youngling's shoulder. "This must be your sign from Shiva. What do the Earth Voices say?"

Closing his eyes, Riku tried once again to focus on the Voices, and this time the words 'Shiva' and 'Sign' were clear to him, spoken in his mind with excitement. "It's my sign? Does this mean that I can access the Ambrosia chamber alone now?" the excitement had now spilled over to Riku's voice as he looked up at his uncle with bright aqua eyes. Could this really be it?

"It must be," Lord Xemnas said a matter-of-factly. "I was there with your father when he received his sign, and it was exactly like this. Go. Go to the chamber. I know how excited you must be. Go. I will search out your father and inform him of your news. I'm sure that he will meet you in the chamber. Now hurry. I'm sure that you are eager to access the chamber yourself."

"Thank you, Lord Uncle!" exclaimed the prince, before he turned and began to run quickly out of the armoury. He was in such a rush that he forgot to even bow towards his uncle and when the thought finally crossed his mind, he was already running through the pale halls of the palace and had no desire to turn around. Hopefully Lord Xemnas would forgive him for the insubordination. As always, Riku called upon the Earth Voices to guide him through the alabaster corridors in order to avoid any sort of collision. It was also helpful to ensure that as he skidded around some of the sharp corners that he was able to almost stick to the ground to and didn't fly into the walls.

While he ran through the hallways, the youngling could still feel the ice magic that suddenly appeared. Though at first he could have sworn that he heard the Earth Voices saying several other words, now they only had a mantra of 'Sign' and 'Shiva'. The journey to the chamber seemed to go faster than usual, and the young elfkin could only attribute that to his excitement. When he finally reached the door to the Ambrosia chamber, Riku could swear that he could see a rune already glowing on the wooden door. Coming to a stop in front of the entry way, the prince could feel his heart beating in his chest, but it wasn't enough to slow him down. Reaching his hand out, the prince then extended one finger in order to trace the glowing rune, but didn't actually touch the dark wood.

'Stop!' 'Danger!' 'Deceit!' 'Sign!' 'Shiva!' 'False!'

The words overwhelmed Riku's mind so much that despite knowing that it would not guard against the purely mental voices, he pressed his hands over his ears firmly. He could not believe just how loud the Voices were being, and so many different and contradicting messages that the silver haired elfkin was having a very difficult time distinguishing which was the truth and what the message was behind the words.

Beginning to get beyond overwhelmed, the youngling then raised his head up once more in order to look at the still glowing rune. Could there be something amiss with the magical barrier on the door? What of the Lost Kings? Despite his overwhelming excitement, Riku could still feel a small tug of curiosity deep within. Though he had released the Chamber's Seal through the Lost Kings several times, to be able to hear their voices, the prince usually had to be in actual contact with the entrance to the Ambrosia chamber. Why was he able to hear them now without that contact?

Wanting to know if there was indeed something wrong about this entire situation, the youngling lifted a shaky hand up, extending a single finger out towards the dark wood, knowing better than to trace the actual rune. He was far too intelligent to do that, especially as he had recognized the rune as one he had used before. His father had told him the very first time that the Lost Kings would never use the same rune of release twice. Knowing that tracing it would be far too dangerous, the youngling placed his finger near the glowing glyph, he gasped loudly when the door swung open, revealing the long stairwell.

Confused about the whole situation, Riku tentatively stepped onto the bottom stair and wondered if his father was already up in the chamber. "Father?" he called up, despite knowing that the King would not be able to hear him from down here. It had been worth the chance though. The Earth Voices were silent once again, though this time it sounded more as if they were muffled and being smothered rather than just being quiet. That caught Riku's attention even further and for the first time; he was ready to outwardly admit that there was definitely something not quite right about this situation.

Wanting to make sure that there was nothing amiss in the actual chamber; the prince began to climb the stairs. As soon as he stepped further onto the stairwell, an overwhelming sense of dread swallowed him. Hastening his steps, it seemed to the young elfkin that the journey took longer than normal. Finally making it to the top, Riku still couldn't shake the feeling of wrongness that had taken hold of him. Coming to the final door in the Ambrosia chamber, the voices once again began to assault the prince with warnings once again.

"Father?" Riku asked once again, hoping that he would find the King indeed working in here. But when he peered into the plant filled chamber, Riku saw nothing except the tables of experiments that his father was often at. Now that he was actually in the chamber, the feeling of wrongness was even stronger. Stepping fully inside, the prince pushed several long flower covered vines out of the way as he made his way over to the closet table. As soon as he stepped into the depression in the floor, the prince was stopped in his tracks as he felt a sensation that he had not felt in several moons. The sudden presence of dark energy just about smothered the youngling.

Trying not to let the pressure knock him over, the silver haired elfkin began to look for the source of the dark energies. As soon as he began to trace them, it was easy to spot the source on the experiment table closest to him. A single stone that sat on the table radiated the dark energies. Approaching the table, the youngling examined the stone, wondering what purpose it had, and why his father would have something touched by dark magic here in the Ambrosia chamber. Reaching out, the prince lifted the small object off of the table.

Instantly, the evil energies over took the young elfkin's body, causing him to scream out in pain and drop the small stone to the ground. The petit body crumpled down as well as the pain travelled through him, causing him to shudder. Even worse than the physical discomfort was the mental anguish that assaulted him. The Earth Voices could not prepare him for the oppressive force that was exuded from the stone, overwhelming his mind and magical channels.

When Riku was finally able to pry his eyes open again through the excruciating pain that continued to rack his body, the sight he saw caused every ounce of his being to run cold. Rising out of the stone that lay only a few lengths away from him were hundreds of shadows, dark spirits that soon began to dance over the walls and plants. "No…" he whispered as he watched as the large rogue blossoms were swallowed by the black figures. The pain was no longer the foremost thought in the youngling's mind as he felt the absolute panic that flooded his senses. He watched as one of the shadows devoured one of the blossoms, the remains falling to the chamber floor, completely destroyed.

Each time that he reached out to touch a shadow in order to stop it, it melted smoothly from between his fingers and he could only watch as they continued to mutilate more of the delicate blooms. The prince remained frozen in panic for precious moments, watching as the Ambrosia blossoms continued to fall to the floor, each one torn and drained of all its magical properties and rendered completely useless to the elfkin. What had he done? Finally able to break his paralysis, Riku rushed over to a fallen flower, picking it up gently and feeling that unlike before, when the flowers would have just radiated magical powers, it was now a cesspool of dark energies that were now leaking out into the chamber swallowing even more of the plants.

"SHIELD!" the Earth Voices all resonated at once in the youngling's mind and it was all that the prince could do to comply to the command before he could feel the explosion of even more dark energies burst into the chamber. Wide eyed, Riku continued to watch as the small stone cracked into numerous tiny pieces which had resulted in the last burst of evil magicks. Then, to the youngling's absolute horror, the shattered stone began to release more evil spirits, the likes of which he had only ever heard of in legend.

From the broken shards daemons began to rise, ones so legendary that Riku had a hard time believe what he was seeing. A shade known as the Orcus Dae with beady yellow eyes that stared down at the young prince, the bloody edge of his darkly transparent sword glistened slightly in the natural light of the chamber. It then rose higher into the chamber on its small, bat-like wings to make room for another of its kind to emerge. Each Daemon continued to follow the path of the first, until at least a dozen of them were circling high above the floor. No longer able to watch the destruction being caused by the lesser shadows, Riku was oddly hypnotized by the greater beings hovering over his head.

All at once, the pack of Orci lifted their ghostly blades and struck out; severing the vines that one had been so thick, hanging off the ceiling. All that the youngling was able to do was cry out in anguish as he watched the heavy vines falling to the ground, the vibrant green lengths losing their leaves before they even touched the floor. Why was this happening?! The panic that had taken hold of the young prince dissipated instantly only to be replaced with an all-encompassing fear. Fear for himself, fear for his father, and fear for the elfkin as race.

Still unable to tear his gaze away from the circling daemons, Riku's cries were halted by the sight of four of the evil shades descending after the final vine had fallen. Easily sensing the danger that was falling upon him, the prince willed himself to move out of the daemons sight, but found that he was rooted to the spot, unable to move at all. The fear had such a hold on him that even his thoughts were paralyzed, nothing other than utter panic penetrating his mind. Aqua eyes could only widen as he watched the four large Orci come closer and closer, each of them raising the ebony blade rimmed with crimson and setting to strike at the young elfkin.

"Halt!" the single strong word echoed through the chamber and as it did, Riku could feel a very physical barrier being erected around him, and not a moment too soon. As he felt the shield solidify around his body, the largest of the shadows allowed his blade to fall and if the invisible safeguard hadn't been there, it would have cleaved right through the silver haired youngling. The moment that the sword edge came into contact with the barrier, it caused the daemon to disintegrate instantly, showering the floor in an inky black dust. The other three then did the same, except there was no need for them to touch the shield, as a bright shaft of pure light shot through their chests, causing the same reaction. The beams then continued upwards to impale the remaining Orci.

Though he felt in no way safe from harm, Riku was now able to move once again, despite the fear that still held him. He was able to gather himself to search the room to find the identity of his rescuer. "Father!" he cried, seeing the king kneeling on one knee, a grimace of pain obvious on his face.

"Stay where you are, Riku," Ansem ordered his son as the lesser shadows continued to swarm over the few remaining blooms that graced the walls.

At that moment, the emotions that the young prince had been able to keep in check up until now finally broke free. "Father, I am so sorry! I thought that I had gotten my sign from Shiva. I never expected anything like this! There was a stone. That's where the shadows are coming from!" Pointing towards the splintered pieces of stone that laid on the ground, Riku could no longer contain the tears that his fear brought on. As he looked over at the perpetrator of the massacre, he didn't even attempt to stifle his cry of fear as he saw the largest shadow he had ever hear of – in truth or in legend – beginning to crawl out of the scattered pieces.

As it emerged further and further, both father and son gasped at its appearance. The dark figure was not quite humanoid, but eerily close. It was well muscled, arms twice as long as its body and ending in long fingers that danced like dark snakes over the pale floor as it tried to pull itself out of the stone farther. Like the lesser daemons before it, the large shade had glowing amber eyes like sulfur and focused only on the young prince. The only time that the gaze of the eyes was broke was when long tendrils of inky blackness in a mockery of hair passed over the glowing orbs. The distress that the prince had felt earlier at the lesser daemons had nothing on what he felt at the moment. He had heard stories of this particular shade when he was younger; the Darkside had been the source of man nightmares for the youngling.

Riku's eyes went wider as he watched the evil spirit pulling itself further out of the stone's shards, revealing a broad chest. That was not the most frightening thing though. It was that at the middle of the shadow's chest was a gaping hole in the shape of a heart, proving more than ever that these daemons had been summoned directly from the dark plains. "Father…" gasped Riku once again, knowing that this daemon was not out to destroy the Ambrosia plants, but to kill both himself and his father.

Ansem seemed to be aware of that fact as well and for the first time ever, Riku saw true fear on his father's features. "Riku, leave this place at once!" exclaimed the king, making a complicated weaving pattern with his hand that his son recognized as a warding spell.

"But…" the youngling gasped, understanding what his father was going to do. "What about you?" Then, without warning, the prince found himself being pushed against his will towards the chamber entrance by the shield that had been placed to protect him.

Another lance of light erupted from Ansem's outstretched hand, piercing the large Darkside in the shoulder. As the invisible barrier continued to press the prince in the direction of the stairwell, the prince couldn't help but gasp at the power his father was displaying. Never before had he seen that sort of power, but the fear was blocking his curiosity beyond that. The large shade merely gazed down towards the site of the injury, completely un-phased, but it did draw the daemon's attention solely onto Ansem, leaving Riku a chance to escape without notice. The King looked back at his son, a pleading look on his face wordlessly telling the prince to run and run now.

Upon seeing that particular look, Riku could no longer deny his father's order, turning and rushing over to the entrance of the chamber.

The moment that he crossed over the threshold and into the stairwell, a force pushed him even further out of the chamber and the door slammed closed. "Father!" cried Riku, turning around and trying desperately to open the door once more, already regretting abandoning his father in the chamber. He could hear the mentally piercing cries of the Daemon as it battled with the King, but more often he could hear his father grunting and groaning in what was obviously physical pain. Small fists pounded relentlessly against the wooden door but to no avail. The door would not open for him.

As he continued to panic and attempt to access the room again, it was no longer important for the prince to continue pretending like he had any sort of composure. Tears were flowing freely down his cheeks, but the desperation that he felt kept him on his feet. Continuing to call to his father, it was all that the youngling could do to maintain his focus. Several times he attempted to listen to the Earth Voices, but they reflected only the distress he himself was feeling. Like before, they spoke only in broken words. 'Danger' 'Death' 'Shadow' 'Sabotage' and 'Sorrow' being the only ones that he was able to distinguish amongst the garble of sounds.

Then, all at once, everything fell silent beyond the wooden door, and that caused Riku's heart to stop. What did that lack of noise beyond the door mean? Before he was able to inquire any further, the youngling felt as if he was slammed against a stone wall. Once again against his will, the prince found himself being forced backwards. Finally the Earth Voices seemed to respond to him and with a tremor that reverberated through the elfkin's body; they smoothed the stairwell into a slide. Riku could barely stop screaming on the steep and speedy decent, creating a small and hastily erected shield to brace himself against the impact that he knew was coming in case the Voices chose not to help him.

With a sickening crack, the prince collided with the door to the chamber, stunning him briefly. For several moments he remained crumpled against the wooden door, crying tears for both himself and his father. As soon as he had hit the door, the first two steps leading up to the chamber had reappeared, but the rest of the steep incline remained flat and impossible to go up. What was he going to do?

Knowing that he needed to go get help from someone, the young and broken prince pulled himself off of the ground. In a trance of sorts, he opened the door leading to the pale corridor. Standing there with a look of utter horror plastered on his face was Lord Xemnas.

"Riku?" he questioned, true surprise lacing his words.

"Uncle…" Ignoring the formalities that he would be disciplined for not following later; the youngling rushed quickly over to his uncle and wrapped himself around the elder's legs.

Placing a concerned hand on his nephew's shoulder, Xemnas looked down at the distraught youth. "What happened, young one?"

Allowing more tears to flow from his eyes, Riku began a condensed version of what had transpired. Pausing only a few times as he recounted his tale to regain his composure and wipe away his tears, both Riku and Xemnas jumped at the sound of the door to the chamber slamming closed the moment that he finished his story. "No!" exclaimed the young prince, leaving his uncle and rushing over to the door and pounding his fists against it. The moment that he touched the wood however, a rune appeared over the entire door. Gasping, the silver haired youngling stepped away, not even noticing when he bumped into his uncle's legs.

"Death?" Lord Xemnas questioned, looking down at his nephew while reading the rune out loud.

Choking back a sigh, the prince turned and buried his face into his uncle's body. "I didn't mean to, Lord Uncle! This wasn't supposed to happen! It was an accident!"

"Your father is dead," Xemnas spoke slowly, "And the Ambrosia has been destroyed. You've doomed the entire elfkin race…"

"What am I going to do, Uncle Xemnas?" sobbed Riku.

"It is your fault however. The elfkin who do not succumb to insanity instantly will hold you fully responsible. How will you explain this to them? And what about the Fae Folk and the Magus? How will we prevent a revolt that they are surely going to stage against you? What will we do when that happens?"

"What can I do, Lord Uncle?" the prince questioned, his entire voice quivering with fright.

Sighing, Xemnas knelt down and looked into his nephew's reddened aqua eyes. "I hate to say this, but I think that you should leave Althenia."

Gasping, the prince stepped backwards. "L…leave Althenia?"

"I tell you this because I care for you and I don't want you hurt. Leave Althenia. Then the subjects will not hold you accountable. You will be able to live your life without the pressure of the loom of doubt," Xemnas whispered, hanging his head. "So run. Run away Riku. It would be for the best."

A final tear escaped from the prince's eye before he gave his uncle one last look. "Alright."

"Before you go," Xemnas said, standing up and placing a hand atop his nephew's head, whispering a few words that Riku didn't recognize. "A warding spell to protect you. Stay safe, young Riku."

Without another word, the prince turned around and began running through the corridors and never looking back.

Xemnas could not stop the smirk that spread across his face. "Track him," he said to the Stygian Daekin who melted into existence behind him, gliding out of the shadows. "The spell I just placed on him will allow you to track him. Then you are to kill him. Do not fail me this time."

"Yes, my Lord," Saïx, Xigbar and Xaldin said in unison, their own expressions mirroring their Lord's before they dissolved back into the shadows, planning on cutting off the prince before he even exited the palace.

Left on his own, Xemnas spared a single glance back towards the glowing glyph that still shone on the wooden door. "At last."

* * *

No lies, life has been thrown up side down for the second time in a year for me lately. But life is definitely getting better now and with that, my motivation for writing is back :D And on top of that, this chapter went through like 4 rewrites. There was just so much that I wanted to put into it. The final product ended up being twice this length. What does that mean? I have a second chapter all ready to be posted as soon as I get the chance to edit it ;) Hopefully that will be in just a couple of days. I just need to go trhough it again when I haven't worked a 10 hour shift at work before hand lol.

Thanks again for everyone for you amazing support of all my writing, its definitely helped me get out of my little funk. I am working on a couple of things right now, the next couple chapters of this and my birthday present for my lovey Pahoyhoy. Even though we have more distance between us my love, we are closer together. I love you and miss you so much! Until next time!


	7. Chapter Six

In The Marble Halls Of Althenia

* * *

Chapter Six

* * *

For the first time in his short life, the palace hallways seemed blinding to the young prince. Fear had taken the elfkin as he ran frantically through the corridors, trying to put as much distance between himself and that sacred chamber that would no doubt haunt his nightmares for the remainder of his days. The horror was too much for him to handle. Tears were streaming down his cheeks, blurring his vision as he ran through the palace, guiding by instinct rather than sight.

"And where do you think you are going, little light walker?" a voice sounded from the shadows that seemed to appear from nowhere. It caused Riku to trip, skidding along the polished floor and into the wall.

"Who...who's there?!" questioned the young elfkin, fear evident in his voice. His entire body was quivering at the moment as he pushed himself up against the wall in an attempt to get away from the voice.

A sinister chuckle sounded as three forms emerged from the inky darkness, all to like the shadow daemons that he just been confronted with in the chamber only moments ago. The fear continued to grow as the three figures took on features that the prince remembered all too well.

"Blood Elves?" he exclaimed, so many things going through his mind at the moment. Why where they here? How did the find him?

The darkness melted fully from them at that moment, revealing their weapons all pointed directly at the youngling, each point dripping that now familiar black liquid that his Lord Uncle had explained to him.

"We prefer that you call us by our proper titles," the lancer growled, swinging his weapon dangerously close to the prince's stomach. Recoiling from it, Riku realized just how much danger he was in now and felt the sting of tears in the corners of his eyes, not even attempting to prevent them from falling down his pale cheeks.

"We are the Stygian Daekin. Sworn to Diablos. We are the Infernal Trinity, His chosen warriors. You got lucky last time, little princeling. Do not think it will happen again. You will not escape again." This time it was the blue haired one who spoke, his tone of voice frightening Riku more than ever before.

"Can you feel it? The pain and death that is just radiating from this place? It will leak out and flood this city, killing them all!" the voice of the archer was malicious and sadistic. There were dark red scars that traced angrily over his face and his right eye was now covered by a swath of black cloth that was the same colour as the clothing that they all wear. It made him even more imposing than before, but no less sinister. As soon as the words reached Riku's ears, the paralysis took hold of him. Could these traitors really smell the death of the Ambrosia and the impending disaster that it would bring upon the entire elfkin race? Could they tell that it was Riku's fault as well? Maybe it was better for him to surrender and allow them to kill him. Then he would be reunited with his father, and then he would no longer need to be afraid of how the elfkin race would revile him.

'No…live on…' a voice whispered from somewhere deep inside Riku's mind, a voice that he could not recognize. Suddenly, many different thoughts began to flood the youngling's mind. If he allowed himself to die here, then he would never be able to atone for this. He knew that he had already condemned the elfkin to insanity and death, but the Magus and the Fae Folk would survive, and maybe they would be able to save some of the elfkin. What good would his death bring to that?

What effect would his death have on those that he cared for? Would it weigh on Elder Vexen and Zexion's minds forever? How would Master Cloud and Master Squall react if they knew that he was the one who was the cause of the inevitable massacre that would occur? How would Sora regard him…or his memory?

Yet if he decided to not allow death to embrace him fully yet, there was the slight possibility that he could stave off the insanity long enough to help discover a way to save the elfkin. Provided they could eventually forgive him for causing all of this in the first place.

A sudden gush of moving air broke the youngling out of his trance just in time to move out of the way of one of the Blood Elf's blades slicing through the air, missing the prince by barely more than a finger length. He had to live. Even if he would be burdened with the guilt and knowledge of what occurred today, he could not take the coward's way out. He would take his Uncle's advice and run. He also vowed to himself that he would not return to Althenia until he could find a way to prevent the elfkin from being wiped out. Either that or he would die, but he would never surrender to the likes of these heathens.

"No!" he cried, pushing his hands out in front of him. At the same time, a wave of pure force shot out, crashing against the Blood Elves and slamming the three of them against the wall with such force that the marble cracked and splintered around them. The three then fell to the floor, moaning and holding various places that were riddled with pain. The lancer however, was not moving at all as dark blood seeped from wounds on his head, running out in long streams onto the floor.

The swordself was the first to recover, standing shakily and brandishing his sword with a hatred that was directed fully at Riku, the crossed scars along the bridge of his nose seemed to burn brighter with that distain. "Stand down, elflet. We sense the guilt under your fear. You are the cause of this stench of death. We will pass judgement for your crimes and that judgement is death!" he declared with the sting of loathing as he charged once again, fuelled by something that Riku could not name.

Before fear could grip him once more, the prince scrambled out of the way of the falling blade, aquamarine eyes going wider as he watched the sword slice into the marble with ease where he had been only moments earlier. It worked to his advantage as the swordself was now stuck. He would either need to face the prince-and whatever magic the youngling could muster- empty handed, wait for his comrades to recover, or turn away and attempt to remove his sword from the embedded portion of the wall.

Riku had no plans on staying there to find out which it would be.

In a split second, the youngling took off down the corridor once more, not pausing to look back. He ran as fast as he could, but for the first time, he was guided by only his vision and own two legs. The Earth Voices were quiet; not letting him know what was coming ahead of him.

Running as fast as he could, Riku rushed through the palace, taking every shortcut he could in order to lose the three Blood Elves, but judging by the footsteps that haunted his own, yet never gained on him nor distanced from him, they were keeping up with him.

"Nowhere to go, light walker," the voice of the archer came from nowhere, yet everywhere at once. As soon as Riku looked around for the source, there was a cloud of swirling blackness that appeared directly in front of the prince. There was nothing he could do to prevent himself from crashing into the legs of the traitor.

Not screaming despite the desire to do so, Riku just gasped loudly. The moment that the Blood Elf reached down and wrapped a scarred hand around the prince's arm, the youngling allowed the fear and desperation to explode outwards from his body in a wall of pure, boundless power.

"What the?!" the Blood Elf questioned before he was pushed violently against the wall behind him, his body once again creating a depression upon impact. Dark blood began to trickle down the white marble, the archer coughing up more before grasping at his stomach and doubling over in pain. "Why you little…" he wheezed. His amber eye went wide when he opened it, surprised at the fact that the youngling was nowhere in sight, nor could he sense the tracking spell that Xemnas had placed upon the elflet. "Damn, where did he go?"

"Where did he get off to, Xigbar?" the lancer questioned, moving slowly up the corridor, using his hand as a support on the smooth wall while the other was pressed against the wound on his head that continued to drip through his fingers.

"I don't know! One moment he was here, then he released some sort of power and he was gone. Maybe if you weren't so pathetic and hadn't collapsed after only that one attack, he would already be dead by now," Xigbar growled loudly, spitting out another mouthful of blood. How could a traitorous young light walker who was scared out of his mind best them, Diablos' chosen?

"Why are you two just standing there?" Saïx questioned, melting out of the few shadows that danced along the corridor. "Where is the bastard prince?"

"He's disappeared, Saïx, and I can no longer sense him in the area. Could he have disappeared? I've never heard of a light walker being able to shadow jump," Xaldin could not look at his leader, not wanting to see the condescending look that would be there.

Saïx sighed, taking count of the injuries that he and his comrades had already sustained. How would he be able to explain their failure to his Lord and Master? In this condition, they would do little to no good, especially in unfamiliar territory where they would be attacked upon recognition. "If we can't sense him, then he is scared, and chances are, he will flee Althenia. And if he is truly that frightened, he will not return."

"You mean abandon the search?" questioned Xigbar as he attempted to pick himself off the ground, wincing as he did. "Lord Xemnas will kill us!"

Xaldin pressed a hand to his side, bringing it up in front of his face as if just noticing that there as dark blood seeping from a wound there as well. "A glyph. We can create one around the entire palace that will let us know if he ever returns. We can tell Lord Xemnas that he was killed and we burned the corpse. And then if the little bastard ever does return, we will be healed and prepared. We will have him before he even has a chance to climb his first stair. We will not underestimate him again. Now that we know what kind of power he houses, we will take him alive and sacrifice him and offer that power to our Lord and with that offering we should be forgiven."

"This is provided he even survives out there. You forgot that those lightwalkers have that reliance on Ambrosia. He very well may succumb to the insanity and eventual death before getting the chance to return. But if he does, we will be waiting for him," Saïx glared, less than impressed that he had failed again.

* * *

Everything around him felt wrong. From the uneven ground beneath him to the bright and heated light that washed over him. Additionally, every bone in his body ached and there was a strange scent around him that he recognized as one that seemed to follow Elder Vexen wherever he went. It was the scent of magic. But there had been no one around that sort of power to save him from those Blood Elves. Had there?

With a groan, the young prince began to push himself off of the ground, his eyes opening wide in surprise when his hands came in contact with dirt, grass and rocks. "Where?" he whispered, finally looking around at his surroundings. There was no one else in sight, and even the nearest dwelling was no more than a blur on the horizon. Pulling himself to his feet, Riku felt the panic invading him once more. Could this be punishment for what he had done? Had he been exiles? With a sigh, the youngling knew that it was no less than he deserved. He had doomed his people after all.

Turning around to get more of a look, Riku saw the distant sparkle of water. Could that be Lake Nimu? Had he really been transported that far from home? His fear was confirmed when no matter how hard he looked, he could only see the barest peak of the Rhion Mountain Range, yet there was no glimpse of Althenia's palace that should be visible from a far distance. With his entire body shaking, the elfkin turned to the south, only to see the Gorge. And judging on how wide it was to the other side, Riku knew that he had to be at the southernmost point of Althenia's border, several days journey from the place he called home.

Despite wanting to break down and lose control of his emotions, all that Riku could manage to do was take in a deep breath. He had to figure out want to do. He knew that he would not be able to return to Althenia, not until he figured out a way to prevent the elfkin from dying out. Hopefully most would be able to survive and stave off the insanity. Looking around, Riku continued to suppress his fear as he thought of possible places to go. No matter what, he would need to go across the Gorge. After that, he could travel south to Ysirya. How he would get there might be an issue though. It was painfully obvious to him that however he made it to this place; he had done so with no weapon. A quick check told him that he had only two squares of Ambrosia in his pouch. That would last him a few days at least. Enough to get to Ysirya.

Not seeing any reason to delay, the young elfkin began to trek towards that Gorge. He would figure a way across when he came to it. With a heavy heart, Riku made the decision right then and there to not consult the Earth Voices. He couldn't risk speaking with them and using up the power of the Ambrosia, nor have them relay his position to others. They would know of his guilt and that he was the reason for the loss of both his father and the Ambrosia. So he would do without.

The sun rose three times by the time that Riku had made it to the other side of the Gorge. The journey had been nothing like he had ever been on before. Despite all of his training, he had never expected to be doing something like this. He was hungry, tired and desperately wanted time to mourn. He had distanced himself from those thoughts as he fought his way this far. Even nights were not a time for thoughts, every ounce of his being focused on survival. He had been thankful that he had been forced to learn the natural ways to survive. He was able to create fire and fashion a crude bow and spear, but nothing more. But by nightfall, he would be in Ysirya.

Time before falling asleep at night was devoted to recalling his lessons about Althenia's closest neighbour, and the birth place of Master Squall and Master Cloud. A nation nestled deep within the southern Demetris forest, the elfkin who were settled there acted as guardians of the Elfkin Lands. Bordering on the Erish-Kegel Dead lands, the Ysriyans protected the nation, and stopped those who would travel into the Dead Lands, a journey of almost certain death. Much like the Althenia's of the north, Ysriyans relied on Ambrosia, though in a raw and unrefined state. Unfortunately though, the Ambrosia cultivated in Ysirya just wasn't the same as in Althenia and had no effect when consumed by an Althenian. He knew that Master Squall and Master Cloud got regular supplies of their native Ambrosia as they were unable to utilize Althenia's. Riku could not expect his country to be saved by appealing to Lord Odine. He would have to figure out another way.

Just as the sun neared its zenith, the youngling finally spotted the interconnected dwellings that stood upon tall pillars in the treetops that the Ysriyans used as houses.

He was flooded with relief, but it was short lived. As soon as he had seen the only place that he could think to claim sanctuary, a cascade of additional thoughts overtook his mind, forcing the youngling to pause his journey.

All around him, the forest felt alive. Riku could feel the humid heat embracing him, dark shadows from the thick canopy of foliage overhead doing nothing to give him respite from the heat. All it did was make it harder to concentrate on the dilemma presented to him.

How would he explain his presence in Ysirya? He was still only a youngling, obviously not properly armed, wandering around the forest. If they didn't shoot first, then ask questions, and then he would most likely be fed Ambrosia. Though he had gone through a little less than half of what he started with and could consume that slowly, it wouldn't be long before they would notice that the Ambrosia they provided him with had no effect on him. They would then conclude he was from Althenia and escort him back, which is what he wanted to avoid at all costs.

So his plan would not work. He could not go to Ysirya. Falling down to his knees, Riku could not help the feeling of helplessness and despair that had settled over him. His options were limited now. The next closest kingdom would be Thorsin, though that would be as bad as going back to Althenia. Thorsin would kill him on sight, the moment that they recognized him for Elfkin. The southern kingdom of Humi still held a deep resentment for their northern neighbours, especially due to the sound defeat they had suffered when they attempted to invade Ysirya all those years ago. So that left him no choice.

Finally allowing himself the liberty, Riku fell to his knees and felt the hot tears streaming down his face. How could everything go so wrong so quickly? What could he have done otherwise? There was no way that he would have been able to save either his father or the Ambrosia. All he could have done was what he did. Though, he could have gone to his father first about the sign from Shiva. The sign; that's what had been the catalyst, he was sure of that. The reason why this had happened was that Shiva had forsaken him and in doing so, punished him by destroying his kingdom. Since he came to that conclusion, Riku hadn't even heard the faintest mumblings from the Earth Voices. It seemed as if they had abandoned him as well. He was truly on his own now. The silence sobs continued to take the young elfkin as he buried his face in his hands.

The only choice left to the silver haired youngling was to cross the Eresh-Kegel Dead Lands. He would have to take his chances through the barren desert to make it to the unknown lands beyond. He really had only a vague idea of how long it would take him to get to the other side, and no additional Ambrosia to take on the journey. But there was no other option open to him. Swallowing the last of his emotions, Riku once again picked himself off the mossy ground, standing on shaky legs.

The thought of crossing the Dead Lands was a daunting one, but he was determined to survive it. He had to. But before he could embark, there were a few things that he needed. The first thing, he knew, to even attempt to cross the Dead Lands, was a proper weapon of some sort. The makeshift ones that he had fashioned himself were not going to be enough for even an attempt.

Recalling his various lessons with Zexion, the young elfkin knew that he would be able to purloin the necessary from any dwelling that he came across here in Ysirya, and thanks to the lessons that Elder Vexen had given him, Riku knew where he would be able to find the secluded households that would run less risk of him being seen. He had to do this. He had to survive. For himself, for his people, for his friends, and for Sora. Sora was resilient enough to survive without Ambrosia, he was sure of it. And maybe, just maybe, he had inherited a tolerance for Ysriyan Ambrosia from his fathers. Riku had to believe that. For if when he did return to Althenia, if Sora was not there waiting for him, it might not be worth returning.

With motivation in mind, the silver haired youth stalked the forest that surrounded the kingdom, narrowing down the potential targets of his attack. The biggest challenge that he would face was going to be the elevated platforms that every dwelling was built on. Being built on the banks of the Sobec River caused annual flooding, so the Ysriyans had adapted. But Riku was agile, quick and could climb. He could do this. It was twilight before he decided on the final target. He had discovered the home of an unbonded scout from the looks of it, one who had a vast array of weapons judging by the many he had been adorned with when leaving. Utilizing every ounce of his training that did not require contact with the Earth Voices, the youngling made his way into the stranger's dwelling.

When inside, it did not surprise the elfkin how similar the interior was compared to the homes in Althenia, which served his purpose well. Quickly and quietly, Riku ransacked the house for the few necessary items for his trek. He took nothing that was brand new, nor so well loved that it was bound to be noticed missing. Only items that were plentiful did he purloin, never the last of an item and he never took more than necessary or enough to leave a noticeable dent. Only what he needed.

In total, the youngling spent no more than a mark in the scout's dwelling, but left no trace of his presence when he left. Upon being swallowed by the forest foliage once more, Riku sought out a secluded spot in order to take a quick inventory of what he had gathered.

An abandoned animal hollow close to the river's edge provided him with shelter and protection, and would serve its purpose. On a cloth that had been among his spoils, the elfkin laid out his newly acquired supplies. 3 water skins, 4 jars of potted meats, a few packets of dried fruits, a tinder box and flint, a roll of bow string, 6 arrow heads and a dagger all sat before him, his only worldly possessions besides the crudely made bow and spear and pouch that contained his remaining Ambrosia.

This would have to be what got him through the Dead Lands. But he would make it. He had to. But with darkness falling swiftly upon him, it was foolish to set off tonight. At least tonight he had some semblance of a plan and a few supplies. He was still frightened, but that fear was no longer all encompassing. Building up a fire to keep the wildlife away and provide warmth, Riku stared into the flames and finally gave into his grief once more. This would be the last time, he promised himself. He would no longer be allowed this luxury. After tonight, he would need to distance himself from his past. Until the time that he could return to Althenia with the means to save his people, he was no longer a prince. He was an outcast.

The night was long, and despite his exhaustion, the youngling found himself unable to sleep. Haunts and daemons plagued him through the night, whispering to him so unlike the whispers of the Earth Voices. By the time that the first light began to glow over the horizon, the elfkin swiftly began to gather his items up and set out on his journey.

It was easy for him to find his way to the edge of the forest by following game trails and scouts paths. His mind went into complete survival mode, no other thoughts going through his head. He had to make it to the Dead Lands, and when he did, then he would think about he would survive there.

The forest began to thin out slowly and the ground beneath the youngling's feet was becoming more and more sandy and desolate. He was nearing the edge. The Dead Lands awaited him. Despite every ounce of his soul telling him to turn back and face the consequences, Riku knew that he had to go on.

As he approached the edge of the border lands, the wave of apprehension that fell over the youngling was almost tangible. This was it. There was no turning back now. This was going to be the ultimate test of all his skills and training. He would either survive the trek that should take a little more than a moon phase to complete, or he would succumb to either the elements or insanity. He had enough Ambrosia to last him for only about half the time, but he was determined to survive it.

Looking out over the barren plains, the elfkin could already see why these parts were known as the Eresh-Kegel Dead Lands. As far as the he could see, there was nothing but dust, sand and rocks. Not a single piece of foliage or tree was in sight. This was going to be a journey unlike any other.

The sun was relentlessly beating down on him, draining him of most of his strength soon after setting out. He had never experienced such a dry heat that offered no relief. Nights were no better, the heat remaining well into the darkness and radiating from the very ground beneath him. With no sources of water in sight, it made each step a challenge. At first Riku thought to travel along the banks of Lake Lira then follow the Mymer River, but he soon discovered that for leagues leading to the waters, the ground was nothing but treacherous quicksand, swallowing anything in merely seconds. He would not attempt to traverse that. He would instead go straight through the wasteland.

Days blended together, the terrain never varying except for the fall of night. The only thing that guided him was the sun during the day and the stars at night. He didn't dare rest for long periods, either in the light or the dark. Though he had yet to see another living organism in this vast land, he had seen the results of their presence in the form of skeletons littered here and there with varying degrees of decay and rot. He didn't want to let his guard down and risk meeting exactly had caused the obviously violent deaths. Though he was tempted, he still refused to call upon the Earth Voices or his magic to ward him from the dangers. He had to accomplish this on his own. It was the only way that he would be able to survive.

With the extreme conditions that he was travelling through, Riku found himself burning through his supplies fast than he ever had imagined. Though he rationed himself, he found his provisions were dwindling rapidly and there was no sign of anything to replace them with. When his Ambrosia was gone, the youngling focused solely on making it across the Dead Lands. If he had something to focus on, then perhaps that would be enough that the insanity wouldn't be able to take him.

After spending close to three moon phases in the Dead Lands – an entire phase longer than he had anticipated – salvation appeared on the horizon as the sun began to rise over the Eastern border. It was the unmistakable sparkle of water. Finally! He had survived the impossible. Riku had made it across the Dead Lands. The sight of the water had invigorated him, and despite the taxation he knew it would put on him, the elfkin began to run. He had to make it to the river. That river was his salvation. With each step, he was more and more energized. The river meant water, food and if he followed the river far enough, he would probably find civilization of some form or another.

For the first time since entering the borders of the Dead Lands, the day seemed to fly by. And by the time that the twilight began to light the land on fire, Riku had made it to the lush banks of the river. Despite himself, the youngling let out a laugh that bordered on hysteric, falling to his knees just short of the waters reach. He made it. He was going to be alright.

That happiness was short lived however. Whether it was from sheer exhaustion, lack of Ambrosia or the undeniable stress finally catching up to him, things went wrong quickly. The pain started in his chest before radiating further and further out, until it encompassed his entire body. Crying out, the youngling gripped at his chest as the pain began to syphon all the remaining energy from his body. This couldn't be the end. It couldn't. He didn't survive the journey only to die on the edge of salvation. He couldn't fail now. He couldn't let Sora down…he had to see Sora's smile again. He had to save that smile…and a memory of that smile was the last thing that Riku saw before blackness overtook his thoughts and mind, causing him to fall forward, the icy river waters embracing him instantly.

"…Do we have…"

"…elfkin…there for…days…how?"

"Leave…us?"

"…killed…come…"

"Outcasts…death…better…"

"…Say that?...with…"

"…useful…heal…"

"Yeah…take…him…"

"Live…us…"

* * *

What's this? Another update in a week? And one that ends with a cliffhanger? You have to take the good with the bad, right? Lol. Who does everyone thing the mysterious broken voices belong to? And how many are there? Hehehe. The next chapter shouldn't be too long coming, though it won't be as fast as this one, sorry. But I am already about halfway through it. I do have a belated birthday fic that I have to finish for my Beloved Pahoyhoy first though. But with my new job, I don't have nearly the stress that I have had for the past year, as well as a lot more free time so it shouldn't be nearly as long.

Thanks as always to everyone for your support on this and all my stories. If anyone has left a review in the past year that I didn't respond to, I am so sorry! My stress level had been through the roof and unfortunately, it was my writing the suffered the most, as you can tell by the lack of updates. Things are turning around now and I have many ideas that I am determined to get posted soon, and I promise to respond to every single review once again! Thanks as always and until next time!


	8. Chapter Seven

In The Marble Halls Of Althenia

* * *

Chapter Seven

* * *

Something didn't feel right. The last thing that he remembered before this was coming upon the river, and then the pain. What had that pain been? Why wasn't it occurring anymore? Why couldn't he feel either the uneven ground or the cold waters around him? It felt far too soft to be that. The other thing would be how did he manage to get to some place like this while being so blinded by pain? The easiest way to discover these sorts of things would be best answered by opening his eyes, though he wasn't completely sure that he wanted to find out or not.

"Are you awake?" a voice came from somewhere that the youngling couldn't pinpoint, and it was a voice that he didn't recognize. "Do not worry, young elfkin, you are safe here."

Still confused, Riku finally pried his eyes open, seeing that he was inside a dwelling of some kind, modestly decorated but still maintaining a cozy atmosphere. He was lying on a bed in only his breeches and from the feel of his skin and the stiffness in his limbs; he had been there for quite some time. Directly beside his beside was a chair and seated in that chair was a stranger. "Who…" was all that Riku managed to get out before falling into a coughing fit. The stranger was instantly there to help him, getting him into a seated position, rubbing his bare back until the attack passed and handing the elfkin a mug that after a cautionary smell, proved to hold plain water. Without hesitation, he drank the life liquid down, grateful for the cool and almost sweet water that trickled down his parched throat.

The stranger grinned broadly at the action, but surprisingly to the youngling, there was no malice or contempt behind it, only true excitement. There was something else about this stranger that Riku couldn't identify either. He just felt…different, but at the same time, familiar in a sense. "My name is Demyx, what's yours?" his pale haired caregiver asked, the bright smile never fading from his face as he took the empty mug back. The young elfkin then noticed that the words were accented, as if this – Demyx- did not speak this language normally.

"Riku," he offered before thinking, but feeling oddly comfortable around this pale haired stranger. He decided to err on the side of caution and not offer any other information. He still had no idea who exactly Demyx was, nor his intentions. But he was still curious and to find out where he was and the only way that he would be able to get that information was by exchange. "How did I get here?"

"We found you floating in the Nenki River. According to the Undines that seem to be attracted to you, you collapsed on the northern bank of the Tloloki River and travelled downstream and through the Manewidyn Basin until we found you about half a league from here. That was several days ago. You've been unconscious since then," explained Demyx, the wide smile never once leaving his lips.

Reaching up, the young elfkin rubbed at his eyes, trying to take in the rapidly spoken words. What was an Undine? He had never heard of those, were they malevolent? Or if they helped him, were they friendly? And what did that make Demyx if he could speak to them? Who was this mysterious figure and why had he taken him in? And what was it around him that gave off that different yet familiar sensation? "What are you?" the silver haired youth questioned, looking at the other's face to see if he could distinguish what exactly it was about him.

Demyx laughed at the comment, not offended though he probably should have been. "I'm a humi. I wasn't sure if you would have ever seen one before or not."

The young elfkin slowly shook his head as he took in the humi's appearance. He had unruly pale hair that stuck up on the top, but fell flat in the back. Riku had learn a little of the humi from Vexen, but not a lot, but on closer inspection, he was able to notice the most distinguishing feature that separated the humi from the elfkin. The tips of Demyx's ears were rounded, not pointed like Riku's own. One thing that still confused the youngling was that Demyx had vivid green eyes. He had been taught since his magickal lessons had begun that users of Magicks had eyes the colour of either the clear sky or the lush plains, or a mix of both. The only exception to that Riku was aware to that was his father and uncle. They both had amber eyes, yet both still possessed the ability to use magicks. As far as the youngling knew, Humi as a race had no magical powers, and therefore all had dark eyes, often causing tension between the two races. It had been the primary reason behind Thorsin invading Ysirya recently.

"Do you have magick…" questioned the youngling, unaware if he should ask that or not. His own magick was reacting, but without the guidance of the Earth Voices, Riku wasn't sure how to interpret it. All he knew was that he still didn't want to rely on the Voice for anything.

Demyx's eyes went wide at the question, but his smile never faltered. "I'm surprised that you noticed that. You must be very powerful yourself. But yes, I do. I'm what is known as a Thaumaturage. So is the other that lives here. He will introduce himself to you soon, but he does not speak Elvaen. Do you speak the common tongue?"

That explained the accent. Thankfully, his lessons in the common tongue were ones that he had never skipped. He had been learning the second language long enough that he was fluent. "Yes, I do," he answered softly, switching to the other tongue easily.

"That's wonderful!" Demyx exclaimed, "So why is a little elfkin like you down here? Which settlement are you from? What happened that you were floating in the river?" Now that he was speaking a language that he was obviously more comfortable with, the humi spoke rapidly and hardly took time to breathe.

"I...uh…"whispered the youngling. He wasn't sure if he was ready to speak of his reasons yet, or if he would ever be ready.

Offering yet another smile, the pale haired humi sat back in his chair, "I'm sure that you have your reasons. We all do. In time you may find it easier to talk about it. Until then though, you are welcome to stay here with us. No one will judge you here, or find you. I'll leave you here for now. Whenever you feel up to it, there is some clothing here and I will be outside if you can make it out that far. If not, I will come check on you again soon." With only a final smile, Demyx stood up from his position in the chair that was at Riku's beside and walked out of the room, leaving the elfkin alone, slightly confused as to what had just happened.

Several days in the river? That meant that Riku had been without Ambrosia for close to two moons now. He would have to be cautions and always on guard to watch for signs of insanity setting in. Without the focus on survival he held while he was wondering in the Dead Lands, he would need to be more aware of the possible insanity at all times now. He could still sense his magickal channels open, though that special channel that the Earth Voices used was still blocked off. There was no whispering behind the blockade, but the youngling knew that with a little prying, he could open that channel once again. He also knew that if he was to reopen the path to those voices, the insanity would set in faster. That just reaffirmed to Riku that he was no longer able to rely on them.

Running a hand through his pale hair with a sigh, the youngling wondered what he was going to do. He knew that Demyx had offered him a place to stay, but could he do that? After all, the insanity might set in at any point. There really was no way to know how it might affect him either, if it would be violent or not. Did he want to possibly subject Demyx and whoever the other humi who lived here to that? Especially after they had gone through the trouble of rescuing him?

At the same time however, Demyx had magick. Riku had never before heard of a humi who had been blessed with that power. And Elder Vexen had never mentioned it before in his magick lessons. Could these humi know a way to contain the magick within without needing to rely on Ambrosia or falling into insanity? That thought peaked the youngling's curiosity. Perhaps he could stay here, only until he felt the first onset of insanity. Then he could leave before he truly harmed anyone. And if these humi had an alternative to Ambrosia that Riku could learn about, he might be able to cultivate it and manipulate it to the elfkin's needs and take it back to Althenia, saving his people.

With that thought in mine, especially paired with the thought of being able to save Sora, the young elfkin pushed himself further up on the bed, even that simple movement without the humi's aid taking so much more energy than ever before. How long exactly had he been without Ambrosia or other proper nourishment? It didn't really matter though. He would just have to trust Demyx for now. Seeing the promised clothing folded just beyond the foot of the bed, Riku suddenly could feel his skin beginning to itch and tighten. After all, he was used to washing daily, and since the day that he had left Althenia, the only time that he had the chance to bathe was that night that he spent camped outside Ysirya, and that had only been a cold dip in the river in order to rid himself of travel dust. There was also the time he had spent floating in the river, but neither of those had included the heated water and soaproot he currently desired.

It took great effort, but eventually the elfkin was able to swing his legs off the edge of the bed, his bare feet touching the surprisingly warm floor. Feeling stiffness in his entire body, Riku resisted the temptation to just lie back down onto the soft blankets. Forcing him up took a lot more effort than he was used to, but maybe Demyx would have something to counter act the weariness he was feeling. Through sheer determination, he crossed the room to the fresh clothing, and with more exertion of energy he didn't possessed, stripped off the old breeches and dressed in the clean garments. Both the tunic and breeches were large on him, something that didn't surprise him but confirmed that Demyx and the other that lived here were both older and taller than him.

A thin sheen of sweat covered pale skin by the time that Riku had donned the light clothing. Though similar in style to the garments that Althenia fashion consisted of, these were not earthy in colour, this set in a deep hue of blue, and the sleeveless tunic felt extremely oversized and oddly exposing to the youngling. But judging by the temperature inside the small room, he had to be much further south than he first thought. After all, Althenia was one of the most northern settlements so warmer tunics would be necessary. It all just added to the curiosity of where exactly Riku had ended up.

Pausing in order to catch his breath and regaining some of the strength he had used to get dressed, the silver haired elfkin couldn't help but be surprised at just how weak he was feeling. It was something that he had never had to experience before in his life, being brought up in a life of privilege had seen to that. But that part of his life was behind him now, this was his life now. Demyx and the other would no need to know about his former status.

Eventually, Riku felt strong enough to attempt to follow in the direction that the humi had taken. Each step was a challenge for the youngling, but the temptation of wash water and food kept the elfkin moving forward through the small residence. Once he got out of the bed chamber, the silver haired elfkin looked through the hallway, seeing a bright light at the other end, heat from the sun radiating down the hallway and feeling good against his skin. That must have been the way that Demyx had gone earlier. With one hand pressed against the smooth, dark wood walls, Riku followed the corridor, eager to feel the sun against his skin once again. It would be so nice to feel its warmth again, without the harshness that came with in the Erish-Kegel Dead Lands.

As he came to the threshold of the small dwelling, the brightness of the sun was blinding to the youngling, causing him to lift his hand up off the supporting wall and cover his eyes. It took several moments, but finally Riku's eyes were able to adjust to the bright sunlight and he was able to take in his surroundings. The rushing sound of water was the first thing that he noticed, before the scent of the forest hit him with full force. The small building was set in the middle of a clearing, surrounded by lush and tall trees that the elfkin had no names for. In a small break in the tree line, Riku could see the source of the rushing water, a river. Scattered through the rest of the clearing were items that gave evidence of occupation: a stack of firewood, a cooking pit, canoes, a garden and several other areas that the youngling was not sure of their purpose.

"Riku, I'm surprised to see you up so soon. Do you need any help? I will be right over," Demyx called, causing Riku to look over to another area of the grassy knoll. This particular area was a sight to behold. A large circle of stones surrounded a place that had no grass growing, and the sand was well worn down and the youngling was able to distinguish lines etched into both the stones and into the sand that looked suspiciously like runes. Inside the stone circle was another humi, this one taller than Demyx, but he had vibrant red hair, the colour of the setting sun. Demyx watched on from just outside the circle, arms crossed over his chest. On the redheaded humi's face was a look of absolute strain while he had his arm extended outwards. What he was trying to do was a complete mystery to Riku, until a small flame erupted at the ends of the man's fingers, burning brightly for only a moment before disappearing in a puff of dark smoke.

"Was that fire?!" despite his desire to remain calm, Riku could not hide his surprise at the sight of the flames, a sight that he had only seen the Elder Vexen produce in the past. His outburst brought forth a glare from the redhead, his concentration obviously broken. The glare quickly faded however, replaced with a small smirk that the youngling couldn't place.

The feel of the sun on his skin seemed to be invigorating the youth with the energy that he seriously lacked. Though he still felt weaker than ever before, the elfkin no longer had the irresistible urge to collapse. He maintained his hold on the doorframe, just in case his body decided to give out on him however. He just continued to stare over at the two humi, truly surprised at what he had seen, but at the same time wanted to know every little detail.

Demyx traced a glyph in midair, causing a shimmer to ripple over an invisible barrier. "This is Axel, Riku. He is also a Thaumaturage. Don't try and come over here, we're finished with the lesson. We'll come there." Despite the disappointed glare that he received from his partner, the pale haired humi had a grin on his face as he carefully walked around the stone circle instead of taking the shorter path by crossing through. With his lesson cut short, the newly introduced humi just followed him over to where the youngling remained.

"You wouldn't believe how close you were to death there, kid," the redhead said as they approached the youngling. "If Dem hadn't heard the pleading Undines, you would be at the bottom of the river right now," Axel's demeanour was completely different now, the glare replaced by a grin that bordered on malicious, but wasn't at the same time.

There was that term again: Undine. "What's an Undine?" Riku inquired, his curiosity peaked by these humi and their strange customs, and why they had magick.

Demyx laughed a melodious laugh before sitting down gracefully on the grass, Axel following his example. Taking the few shaky steps towards them, Riku did the same, though his was more of a controlled fall. "I'm sure that you have a lot of questions about everything. I will try and answer what I can for you. Undines are elemental creatures of the water. Thaumataragi can speak with the creatures of the elements they have power over, and we each have the power to control one element. As you saw, Axel here controls fire, and I have power over water, which is why I was able to hear the Undines." With that infectious smile, the pale haired humi explained it all without fear, something that the youngling found odd. He had always been taught to be wary of strangers and other races, not to disclose too much about his powers to them until the Earth Voices, his father or another elder declared them to be no danger.

Though he continued to block out the Earth Voices, his innate powers told him that there were no other beings in the vicinity. Were Demyx and Axel in some sort of hiding? It seemed that with every answer that Riku received, it brought forth three more questions. He couldn't keep them all straight. It was all so overwhelming. "But you are humi. I thought that humi didn't have magick?" Though the common tongue was strange to speak, Riku found himself understanding and communicating using it just fine. Zexion would be proud.

This time it was Axel who laughed, though his was more of a deep chuckle compared to Demyx's musical tones. "You're looking at the only two that we know of. We aren't exactly popular with the rest of the humi, except when they want or need our help."

"I don't understand…" the youngling trailed off, truly confused about all of this.

"Get comfortable, Kid," Axel laughed once again, "Demyx is going into story mode and there will be no way to stop him now."

Ignoring the insult that the redhead had shot in his direction, the blond looked wistfully to the skies and began his tale. "Legend has it that long ago, a Fae and a Humi fell in love, and despite their different races, the Goddess of the Fae Folk blessed them with a child. Now that child was Humi in all sense of the word, though he possessed magickal abilities that even the Fae had not seen before, even in their most powerful kin. In time, that child grew and passed his powers on, as well as the stigma of being not fully Fae enough for them to accept him, but being more than Humi so they too remained wary of him. Because of that, the half-blood was never accepted by either society. His blood line eventually dwindled down until the magic became almost non-existent in his descendants. Every once in a while however, one with those same powers will be born. And when they do appear, they are shunned once again. Their powers don't always manifest right away, but the colour of eyes cause even our parents to spurn us from birth. We are still more than Humi, but not Fae enough for them." As Demyx spoke, Riku felt himself completely entranced. There was so much that he didn't know about the world. He had never heard of this legend, but it didn't really surprise him. Fae Folk and elfkin were notoriously guarded when it came to their powers, and jealous of others that had magick. Even some of the Magus were shunned due to the powers that they possessed. Others, like Elder Vexen had cemented their position in their society, but often that was not the case. Riku suspected that if Elder Vexen had not been such a close confident of his father's, there would have been a revolt between the Fae and Magus after the Ysiryan invasion.

After a lengthy silence in which Riku refused to meet either humi's eyes, the redhead decided to take pity on the youngling's discomfort and change the subject. "So where are you from? I've only heard stories of the different elfkin settlements."

Riku's breath caught for a moment until he realized that the redhead had not asked anything about his past, just where he was from. There would be no need to provide any other further information. "Althenia. It's a northern nation." Though he didn't like mentioning the name of his Kingdom, he knew that he owed the two humi at least a little information. And if he dared to be optimistic, maybe they would be able to give him some assistance in finding an alternative to Ambrosia.

"Wow, you really are a long way from home, kid. Any particular reason why you left? Or are you just an outcast like us?" Axel had another grin on his face, one that told the youngling that he didn't expect an answer from him, but none the less was curious.

Demyx proved to be a saviour when he reached over and smacked the other humi upside the head, effectively wiping the grin off of his friend's face. It was very obvious that they were close; friends, if not partners or bonded. "Don't mind him. He's still a novice who can barely control his powers, especially when he's been angered. He doesn't understand how to handle delicate situations. Your reasons are your own and you do not need to share those reasons with us unless you want to. We're outcasts here. We don't judge. You're welcome to stay here with us as long as you need to, reason or not. So ignore Axel. He doesn't know what he's talking about." The entire time that he spoke, the pale haired humi had a wide grin on his face, a gesture that the youngling figured was normal for the humi. It really was a welcome sight.

Axel just growled at the other humi, rubbing the back of his head where he'd been hit. "Just because you're my magick instructor doesn't mean that you can physically abuse me too."

"Yes it does," Demyx grinned and it was then that elfkin realized that they were acting like this for his benefit. They were trying to make him feel more comfortable here.

Maybe staying here wouldn't be so bad. It was obvious that Axel and Demyx had knowledge of their own magicks, and he could possibly apply their teachings to his own. He was pretty sure that the humi didn't have the same sort of connection as the elfkin, Fae and Magus did with the Earth Voices. He could find out how they controlled their powers and apply that to his own craft. But that still didn't help him with one part of his past that the two did deserve to know about. Before he was able to speak his thoughts though, he was overcome with a coughing fit. Without even needing to ask for it, Axel produced an earthenware mug from somewhere and with only a snap of his fingers, Demyx was able to fill it with clear water before handing it over to the youngling.

Accepting the mug, Riku took a long drink of the surprisingly cold water. It soothed his throat and aided in refreshing him. "Need more?" questioned the blond with that ever present grin still on his lips.

Shaking his head, the youngling just continued to look back and forth between the two humi, hoping that they would not be upset with what they were about to hear, or cause them to second guess taking him in. "Do you know anything of the powers of the elfkin and their magickal control?"

Axel looked at him with pure confusion plastered on his face, while even Demyx lost his smile. "Earth based and you have a Goddess that you worship, right?" the redhead ventured.

"Yes," Riku affirmed, surprised that he knew that much. "We rely on our Goddess, Shiva, to bless us with our magicks, but we also have influence from the Earth Voices. They are the spirits that guide us through our mage craft, and through life. To keep us from being overwhelmed by their presence and words in our minds, elfkin rely on Ambrosia. That prevents the Voices from driving us into madness."

"Madness? How long does that normally take?" Demyx's bright green eyes were wide and there was a look of rapt interest on his face. It just solidified the notion that the pale haired humi was as interested in the histories of the elfkin as any of Riku's own people. It reminded him of some of his friends, one in particular that he had left behind.

With a sigh, the youngling ran one hand back through his hair, hiding his wince at the feel. The action reminded him that his skin still felt light and he was hoping to soon be able to wash. "It differs for everyone. It depends on their will. Some find that madness set in within marks, others it can take an entire season. Then there are still some that are able to stave off that insanity for quite some time. When the madness does take us though, we fall quickly and our magicks destroy us from within, bursting out at our final moments."

"Destroys?!" the two humi questioned at once in very surprised tones.

Riku could only nod. "I've seen it happen. It is not something that I wish to witness ever again."

A look of understanding then dawned on the redhead's face. Riku would need to give him more credit than he had been. Axel was observant. "When was the last time that you had your Ambrosia?"

Letting out a puff of laughter – his first since this whole ordeal had begun- the youngling could not bring himself to make eye contact with his two rescuers. "Depends on how long I was lost in the Dead Lands and how long I was in the river. I don't exactly remember much of any of those days."

This time it was Demyx whose green wyes went impossibly wide. "So, you haven't gone mad yet, but you don't know when and if you might?" there was worry in the humi's voice, something that the youngling found surprising. Why was Demyx worried about him even though he didn't know him? Before, that sort of worship had been commonplace, but now, among these humi that he didn't even know showing compassion for him was a different feeling altogether, one that he wasn't sure he fully understood.

All the youngling could do was shake his head somewhat remorsefully. "I'm not sure. I have blocked the Earth Voices, but I don't know how long that will last. So if I do start acting strangely, I need you to promise to stop me before I become dangerous to anyone, especially yourselves."

Though it was a grim request, both Axel and Demyx nodded, knowing just from the tone of the elfkin's voice that if it came to that, it would be a sign of mercy, but they also knew that they would have little choice in the matter.

* * *

I know, I know, more information. But believe me, it is all necessary. At least we know our young prince is safe and Axel and Demyx will keep him that way…maybe ;) Sorry it took longer than I wanted to get this chapter out, I'd like to blame work, but I have to admit that I've been playing a few too many games lately….replayed through FFVII, FVII Crisis Core,FFVIII, KH, KH2, KHDays, KHBBS, Dissidia FF…its all research for this story, right? At least that's what I'm going to say lol. Next chapter is halfway done, but I'm not going to promise anything in case I get distracted again.

To Pahoyhoy, your family has grown even more beautiful! I am so proud of you and can't express just how much I love you! This story would still be in the back of my head if it wasn't for you and you know it!

Thanks as always to all of you who make writing worth it for me, especially those of you who take the time to review. As awesome as it is to see the number of hits I get on stories (which still blows me away), each time that I see a review as well, it means the world to me! Thanks again and until next time!


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